A Hybrid Photovoltaic-Wind Power System for the National Data Buoy Center’s Coastal Marine Automated Network

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) operates the Marine Observation Network (MON) for NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS). The MON is a network of land and buoy-based automated platforms that collect and report meteorological and oceanographic measurements and transmit these data in near real-time through the NOAA Geostationary Operating Environmental Satellite (GOES) system. These platforms are traditionally powered by rechargeable batteries that are recharged by photovoltaic panels. The NDBC MON has platforms throughout the coastal United States including Alaska and Hawaii, and some deep ocean areas of the United States. Because of the variety of environments to which these platforms are subjected, traditional photovoltaic power systems have been inadequate in some locations, particularly extreme northern latitudes, where little or no sunlight may be available for charging a photovoltaic power system in winter months. Locations which typically have poor solar charging in winter months often have relatively high prevailing winds. This paper describes the design and testing of a hybrid photovoltaic-wind rechargeable battery power system that employs small, inexpensive wind generators to supplement battery charging on platforms in those locations.