One of the critical issues in power generation is supply of adequate base load of power on an "around the clock" basis. With Waste to Energy (WtE) plants there can come moments when, for reasons outside the control of the plant operator, waste fails to be delivered to the plant for a protracted period and generating plant waste stock piles are depleted. Having available a "paired" Solar Thermal (ST) installation (with a minimum amount of "stored heat" for a full day's operation) allows for compensation of missing base load power to the grid. 

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Similarly, when protracted periods of inclement weather may hinder full heat storage capacity for a ST installation, having a "paired" WtE plant allows for continuous power production, again to support the base load requirements. 

 

Hybrid plants are normally "paired" to achieve at least 120 percent of the base load requirement for these reasons. It is easier to "de-tune" a Hybrid plant to achieve a reduced total combined output than it is to miraculously create power from an installation that does not have sufficient feed stock (whether sunlight or rubbish). 

 

Simply put, a Hybrid plant is the combination of ST and WtE as noted above and can also be considered a basic micro grid.