A HYBRID SOLAR-WIND ENERGY GENERATION APPROACH FOR SRI LANKA

The escalation of global energy demand has enhanced the interest on renewable energy technologies worldwide. The reliance of a single energy source has become problematic, and hybrid renewable energy technology has been identified as a feasible solution. Producing energy to limitless increasing demand is a challenging issue faced by Sri Lanka nowadays. Although, there are some studies carried out for renewable energy systems, solar-wind based hybrid renewable systems is an understudied area in Sri Lankan context. Hence, this paper aims to explore the applicability of hybrid solar-wind renewable energy generation approach for Sri Lanka. The study follows a qualitative approach with semi structured interviews from eight industrial experts, and manual content analysis technique was used for data analysis. The paper discussed the current installation practices of solar and wind technologies, applicability of hybrid solar and wind renewable energy systems and national level contribution for hybrid systems. Finally, a validated model was proposed to implement hybrid renewable energy generation systems for Sri Lanka.