According to the information, the turbines of new design in the absence of wind use pre-compressed air to generate electricity.
Thus Hybrid Turbines company, that has developed a new system, offers to get rid of one of the main drawbacks of wind turbines - a variable output that occurs due to changes in wind speed. To date, this problem can be solved at the expense of batteries, leveling the capacity in times of calm. Unfortunately, because of the high cost of such systems the cost of produced electricity increases.
The new system, named SmartGen, uses the compressed air, supplied by the turbo powered by natural gas or biogas, instead of batteries. One of the advantages of the SmartGen system is the ability to its installation on existing windmill. Thus, wind energy is becoming not only more attractive for investors, but it also able to adjust the output power depending on the needs of the power grids.
This decision may be very attractive for rural regions that are major producers of biogas and becoming completely energy independent through implementation of hybrid systems that use wind energy and biogas. Moreover, this decision allows using turbine more efficient, because according to the statistics, wind turbines generate electricity for 30% of the time of its existence. Thus, market players are able to not only quickly recoup their investment, but also reduce the cost of electricity for consumers.
