Design and Testing of a Hybrid Wind-Solar Power System for Off-Grid Telecommunications Towers in Adamawa State

Background: Off-grid telecommunications towers in Adamawa State, North East Nigeria, rely almost entirely on diesel generators, creating high operational costs and carbon emissions. Wind-solar hybrid systems can reduce diesel dependence in areas with complementary renewable resources. Aim: This project designed and evaluated a hybrid wind-solar power system for a representative off-grid telecom tower in Adamawa State. Methods: Wind speed and solar irradiance data for Yola, Adamawa State were collected over 12 months. HOMER Pro software was used to optimise a hybrid system comprising a 2kW wind turbine, 3kWp PV array, 200Ah battery bank, and 2kVA backup generator for a 1.5 kW tower load. Results: The optimised hybrid system reduced diesel consumption by 74% compared with the diesel-only baseline. Net present cost over 25 years was 41% lower for the hybrid system. Wind generation contributed 28% and solar 46% of total energy production. The wind-solar hybrid showed superior performance over solar-only design in Adamawa's windy dry season. Conclusion: Wind-solar hybrid systems are technically and economically superior to diesel-only power for off-grid telecom towers in Adamawa State. The study supports commercial adoption and recommends further field prototyping. Keywords: hybrid energy, wind-solar, off-grid, telecommunications, Adamawa State.