Hybrid system design works on the basic idea of capturing energy from various sources and delivering that energy to places where it can be used most effectively. When those energy sources are renewable sources, and can be effectively captured on-site, hybrid systems can be amazingly efficient.

To come up with a system design, you have to look at various renewable technologies (like solar hot water, wind generation, etc.) see what kinds of energy that they can produce (electricity, heat, etc.), and see where that kind of energy could most effectively be used.