2^nd European PV-Hybrid and Mini-Grid Conference

The second European conference with the topic "Off-grid electricity generation with hybrid systems" was held on 25^th/26^th September, 2003, in Kassel. Organiser was the OTTI ENERGIE-KOLLEG and the Department of Efficient Energy Conversion at the Faculty Electrical Engineering / Information Technology at the University of Kassel.

The response has been very lively. There were 207 participants. Three quarters of the participants came from Europe and half of the Europeans were from Germany. Of the rest, three quarters were from Asia, one quarter from Africa and America. The majority of participants came from commercial companies.

"Nowadays, hybrid systems are capable of providing electricity with a quality comparable to grid connected electricity supplies. The rapid evolution of this technology explains the necessity for a conference specially dedicated to hybrid systems", says the co-initiator of the conference Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Schmid, Head of the Department of Efficient Energy Conversion at the University of Kassel and Chairman of the Executive Board of the Institut für Solare Energieversorgungstechnik (ISET), which is with about 75 staff members one of the leading research institutions in systems technology for renewable energy systems world-wide.

The First European Hybrid Conference was held in Aix en Provence (France) in 2000. With increased importance of hybrid systems that are capable to supply small grids, so-called micro- or mini-grids for village electrification with multiple users in the second European hybrid conference, this development is taken into account by its title: 2nd European PV-Hybrid and Mini-Grid Conference. After all, more than 2 billion people world-wide have no access to electricity.

The conference programme comprised market and economic aspects, hybrid system technologies for single users, hybrid systems for multiple users including mini-grids and utility type systems with remote control aspects. Other contributions addressed topics like energy storage, back-up units, bio fuels, fuel cell integration and power electronics were addressed with regard to hybrid specific problems and their solutions. Additional sessions informed about field experience from all over the world, standardisation and performance indication as well as simulation activities.

Off-grid electricity generation with hybrid systems has progressed enormously within the last decade. A multitude of system configurations have had their place in respective conferences. Photovoltaic Diesel hybrid systems for example are presented in photovoltaic conferences and Wind Diesel hybrid systems in wind conferences, respectively. By continuous research and demonstration, hybrid systems have obtained an increased importance in rural electrification.

"Although this conference series has just started and was intended to be a small conference, the reaction to the call for papers was overwhelming", the french Conference Chairman Patrick Jourde was proud to say. More than 70 papers have been submitted. The scientific committee consisting of representatives from all over the world had a hard job to select the most promising ones for oral presentations. Oral sessions were accompanied by an exhibition of hybrid systems.

The 3rd European PV-Hybrid and Mini-Grid Conference is planned to take place in May 2006.

For the scientific committee:

Patrick Jourde,CEA Genec, France
Jürgen Schmid, ISET/Universität Kassel
Eckardt Günther, OTTI KOLLEG, Regensburg

Conference Management

• OTTI ENERGIE-KOLLEG
  Eckardt Günther, Leonore Nanko, Gabriele Struthoff-Müller
  Wernerwerkstraße 4, 93049 Regensburg, Germany
  Phone: +49 (0)941 29688-24
  Phone: +49 (0)941 29688-38
  
  Fax: +49 (0)941 29688-17
  e-mail: leonore.nanko@otti.de
  e-mail: gabriele.struthoff-mueller@otti.de
  
  http://www.otti.de
  
  
• Co-Organisator
  • IEE_RE INSTITUTE FOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING EFFICIENT ENERGY CONVERSION - UNIVERSITY OF KASSEL
  
  
• Supporting Organisations
  • EPIA European Photovoltaic Industry Association
  • EUREC Agency
  • IEA International Energy Agency PVPS TASK 3

Coffee break, Sponsor SMA