Techno-Economic Efficiency Analysis of Various Operating Strategies for Micro-Hydro Storage Using a Pump as a Turbine

Florian Julian Lugauer, Josef Kainz and Matthias Gaderer
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Florian Julian Lugauer: Energy Technology Department, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Science, 94315 Straubing, Germany
Josef Kainz: Energy Technology Department, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Science, 94315 Straubing, Germany
Matthias Gaderer: TU Munich Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, 94315 Straubing, Germany

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-18

Abstract: Storage technologies are an increasingly crucial element in the continued expansion of renewable energy production. Micro-hydro storage using a pump as a turbine is a potentially promising solution in certain cases, for example, for extending existing photovoltaic systems (PV) and thus reducing grid load and enabling economically beneficial self-consumption of the energy produced. This paper gives an overview of various operating strategies and their technical and economic efficiencies. The evaluation was based on a simulation model of a system that uses measured characteristic maps of both the pump and turbine operations. An optimizer was employed to vary the essential system parameters, which made it possible to determine the optimal economical operation of the pump as a turbine in combination with a PV system. This in turn enabled us to determine the conditions under which the system can be operated most profitably. It was then possible to make precise calculations of the stored energy quantities, total efficiency ( η tot = 42% with speed control), and many other values critical to each operating strategy. Based on the technical findings, the economic analysis resulted in a levelized cost of energy of 0.63 €/kWh for the micro-hydro storage when using speed control.

Keywords: pump as turbine; micro-hydro pump storage; annual annuity; simulation model; operating strategies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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