Hybrid energy storage system, renewable energy system including the storage system, and method of using same

1. A method of stabilizing power provided by an energy source to a load, said method comprising:

capturing, in a first energy storage device, energy produced by the energy source in excess of the immediate energy requirement of the load unless an energy level of the first energy storage device is at a first maximum threshold;

capturing, in a second energy storage device, the energy produced by the energy source in excess of the immediate energy requirement of the load if the energy level of the first energy storage device is at the first maximum threshold, unless an energy level of the second energy storage device is at a second maximum threshold;

transferring energy from the first energy storage device to the second energy storage device in response to the energy level of the first energy storage device reaching the first maximum threshold; and

ceasing transferring energy from the first energy storage device to the second energy storage device in response to (i) the energy level of the first energy storage device reaching a first predetermined level, or (ii) the energy level of the second energy storage device reaching the second maximum threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing energy from the first energy storage device to the load when the immediate energy requirement of the load exceeds the energy produced by the energy source unless the energy level of the first storage device is at a first minimum threshold; and

providing energy from the second energy storage device to the load when the immediate energy requirement of the load exceeds the energy produced by the energy source and the energy level of the first storage device is at the first minimum threshold, unless an energy level of the second energy storage device is at a second minimum threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transferring energy from the second energy storage device to the first energy storage device in response to the energy level of the first energy storage device reaching a first minimum threshold; and

ceasing transferring energy from the second energy storage device to the first energy storage device in response to the energy level of the first energy storage device reaching a first predetermined level or the energy level of the second energy storage device reaching a second minimum threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transferring energy between the first energy storage device and the second energy storage device at a predetermined time interval, said transferring comprising:

providing energy from the first energy storage device to the second energy storage device if the energy level of the first energy storage device is greater than the first predetermined level;

providing energy from the second energy storage device to the first energy storage device if the energy level of the first energy storage device is less than the first predetermined level; and

ceasing providing energy from the first energy storage device to the second energy storage device or from the second energy storage device to the first energy storage device when the energy level of the first energy storage device reaches the first predetermined level or the energy level of the second storage device reaches the second minimum threshold or the second maximum threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

varying a first predetermined level of the first energy storage device and a second predetermined level of the second energy storage device as a function of an energy requirement profile of the load;

varying the first predetermined level of the first energy storage device and the second predetermined level of the second energy storage device as a function of an energy output profile of the energy source; and

preventing capture of energy in at least one of the first and second energy storage devices as a function of a temperature of the energy storage device, a reduced storage or discharge efficiency of the energy storage device, a diminished capacity of the energy storage device, a number of cycles of the energy storage device, and a strain of the energy storage device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

capturing, in the first energy storage device, energy produced by the energy source in excess of an immediate energy requirement of the load further comprises capturing energy in the first energy storage device in excess of the immediate energy requirement of the load up to an intake rate threshold of the first energy source; and

capturing, in the second energy storage device, energy produced by the energy source in excess of the immediate energy requirement of the load further comprises capturing energy in the second energy storage device in excess of the sum of the immediate energy requirement of the load and the intake rate threshold of the first energy source.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing energy from the first energy storage device to the load when the immediate energy requirement of the load exceeds the energy produced by the energy source up to a discharge rate threshold of the first energy storage device; and

providing energy from the second energy storage device to the load when the immediate energy requirement of the load exceeds the sum of the energy produced by the energy source and the discharge rate threshold of the first energy storage device up to a discharge rate threshold of the second energy storage device.

8. A system for providing power to a load comprising:

an energy source for providing power;

a first energy storage device for selectively capturing power from the energy source and selectively providing captured power to the load;

a second energy storage device for selectively capturing power from the energy source and selectively providing captured power to the load;

an energy flow controller comprising:

a power monitor for monitoring a difference between power provided by the energy source and an immediate energy requirement of the load and producing a power signal indicative of the monitored difference;

a first energy level monitor for monitoring an energy level of the first energy storage device and providing a first energy level signal indicative of the energy level of the first energy storage device;

a second energy level monitor for monitoring an energy level of the second energy storage device and providing a second energy level signal indicative of the energy level of the second energy storage device;

an energy converter responsive to (i) a capture signal for converting power from the energy source into power for at least one of the first and second energy storage devices, (ii) a switch signal for directing the converted power to at least one of the first energy storage device and the second energy storage device, and (iii) a first transfer signal from the controller for transferring energy from the first energy storage device to the second energy storage device; and

a controller for receiving the power signal, the first energy level signal, and the second energy level signal, said controller:

determining from the power signal that the power provided by the energy source exceeds an immediate energy requirement of the load and providing the capture signal and the switch signal to the energy converter such that the energy provided by the energy source in excess of the immediate energy requirement of the load is captured in the first energy storage device unless the first energy level signal indicates that the energy level of the first energy storage device is at a first maximum threshold whereupon the controller alters the switch signal such that the energy converter directs the energy in excess of the of the immediate energy requirement of the load to the second energy storage device unless the second energy level signal indicates that the energy level of the second energy storage device is at a second maximum threshold, and

providing the first transfer signal when the first energy level signal indicates that the energy level of the first energy storage device has reached the first maximum threshold whereupon the controller ceases providing the first transfer signal in response to (i) the first energy level signal indicating that the energy level of the first energy storage device has reached a first predetermined level, or (ii) the second energy level signal indicating that the energy level of the second energy storage device has reached the second maximum threshold.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the energy converter comprises a rectifier for converting power from the energy source into energy for storage in at least one of the first energy storage device and the second energy storage device, and an inverter for converting energy from at least one of the first energy storage device and the second energy storage device into power for the load.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the energy converter is further responsive to a discharge signal for converting energy from at least one of the first and second energy storage devices into power for the load and the switch signal for determining which of the first and second energy storage devices to convert the energy from, and wherein the controller provides the discharge signal and the switch signal to the energy converter when the power signal indicates that immediate energy requirement of the load exceeds the energy produced by the energy source such that the energy is provided from the first energy storage device unless the first energy level signal indicates that the energy level of the first storage device is at a first minimum threshold whereupon the controller alters the switch signal such that the energy converter converts energy from the second energy storage device for the load, unless the second energy level signal indicates that the energy level of the second energy storage device is at a second minimum threshold.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the energy converter is further responsive to a second transfer signal for transferring energy from the second energy storage device to the first energy storage device, and wherein the controller:

provides the second transfer signal to the energy converter in response to the first energy level signal indicating that the energy level of the first energy storage device has reached the first minimum threshold; and

ceases providing the second transfer signal to the energy converter in response to the first energy level signal indicating that the energy level of the first energy storage device has reached a first predetermined level or the second energy level signal indicating that the energy level of the second energy storage device has reached the second minimum threshold.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the controller selectively provides one of the first transfer signal and the second transfer signal to the energy converter at a predetermined time interval, said controller:

providing the first energy transfer signal if the first energy level signal indicates that energy level of the first energy storage device is greater than the first predetermined level;

providing the second energy transfer signal if the second energy level signal indicates that the energy level of the first energy storage device is less than the first predetermined level; and

ceasing providing the first energy transfer signal or the second energy transfer signal when the first energy level signal indicates that the energy level of the first energy storage device has reached the first predetermined level or the second energy level signal indicates that the energy level of the second storage device has reached the second minimum threshold or the second maximum threshold.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the controller varies a first predetermined level of the first energy storage device and a second predetermined level of the second energy storage device as a function of an energy requirement profile of the load;

the controller varies the first predetermined level of the first energy storage device and the second predetermined level of the second energy storage device as a function of an energy output profile of the energy source; and

the controller prevents capture of energy in at least one of the first and second energy storage devices as a function of a temperature of the energy storage device, a reduced storage or discharge efficiency of the energy storage device, a diminished capacity of the energy storage device, a number of cycles of the energy storage device, and a strain of the energy storage device.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the energy flow controller captures energy in the first energy storage device produced by the energy source in excess of an immediate energy requirement of the load up to an intake rate threshold of the first energy source; and

the energy flow controller captures energy in the second energy storage device produced by the energy source in excess of the sum of the immediate energy requirement of the load and the intake rate threshold of the first energy source.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the energy flow controller provides energy from the first energy storage device to the load when the immediate energy requirement of the load exceeds the energy produced by the energy source up to a discharge rate threshold of the first energy storage device; and

the energy flow controller provides energy from the second energy storage device to the load when the immediate energy requirement of the load exceeds the sum of the energy produced by the energy source and the discharge rate threshold of the first energy storage device up to a discharge rate threshold of the second energy storage device.

16. A method of stabilizing power provided by an energy source to a load, said method comprising:

capturing, in a first energy storage device, energy produced by the energy source in excess of an immediate energy requirement of the load up to an intake rate threshold of the first energy source;

capturing, in a second energy storage device, energy produced by the energy source in excess of the sum of the immediate energy requirement of the load and the intake rate threshold of the first energy storage device;

providing energy from the second energy storage device to the load when the immediate energy requirement of the load exceeds the sum of the energy produced by the energy source and the discharge rate threshold of the first energy storage device up to a discharge rate threshold of the second energy storage device.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising varying the intake rate threshold of the first energy storage device, the intake rate threshold of the second energy storage device, the discharge rate threshold of the first energy storage device, and the discharge rate threshold of the second energy storage device as a function of at least one of: a cooling capacity associated with the energy storage device, a heat dissipation coefficient of the energy storage device, an ambient air temperature profile, and energy requirement of the load, an cycle rate profile, and an energy production profile for the energy source.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the intake rate threshold of each of the first and second energy storage devices and a discharge rate threshold of each of the first and second energy storage devices are determined as a function of at least one of: a type of the energy storage device, an initial capacity of the energy storage device, an characteristic internal resistance of the energy storage device, a chemical resistance of the energy storage device, an electrolyte of the energy storage device, a temperature of the energy storage device, a state of charge of the energy storage device, a capacity loss of the energy storage device, an intake efficiency of the energy storage device, and a discharge efficiency of the energy storage device.