Journal of Railway Transportation and Technology
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2026): November

Integration of Renewable Energy and Hybrid Power System for Sustainable Transportation: A Vessel-to-Grid Approach

Natriya Faisal Rachman (Politeknik Pelayaran Surabaya)
Sonhaji (Politeknik Pelayaran Surabaya)
Frenki Imanto (Politeknik Pelayaran Surabaya)
Jaka Septian Kustanto (Politeknik Pelayaran Surabaya)
Muhammad Taufiq Hidayat (Politeknik Pelayaran Surabaya)
Muhammad Razka (Politeknik Pelayaran Surabaya)



Article Info

Publish Date
22 Oct 2026

Abstract

Sustainable maritime transportation requires electrical systems that are reliable, energy-efficient, and capable of integrating cleaner energy sources. This study develops and evaluates a small-scale hybrid power prototype that combines a 50 Wp photovoltaic (PV) source as the renewable-energy component with a mini steam power source as a complementary generator, using an ESP32 microcontroller, INA219 sensors, MPPT control, a buck-boost converter, and relay-based automatic switching. The experimental program included static component verification and dynamic tests under changing solar irradiance, steam pressure, source-transfer conditions, smartphone monitoring, and 180-minute battery-charging cycles. The PV source produced 11.1–19.7 V and 0.8–2.6 A depending on weather conditions, while the mini steam source became stable from approximately 20 psi and produced 23.3–24.5 V and 2.2–2.5 A between 20 and 50 psi. Automatic source switching occurred in approximately 0.2 s in all five trials. Both charging paths raised battery voltage to 12.8 V at 90 min, after which charging was automatically disconnected. These results show that renewable-energy utilization can be strengthened by hybrid-source coordination, real-time monitoring, and energy storage to support continuity of power for maritime transportation. From a Vessel-to-Grid (V2G) perspective, the prototype demonstrates enabling functions at the onboard energy-management level, but bidirectional power export to an external grid was not tested and remains a subject for further development. .

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