Using solar energy for complementary energy generation and water level recovery in Brazilian hybrid hydroelectricity: An energy and economic study

Marina Júnia Vilela Caldeira, Guilherme Martinez Figueiredo Ferraz, Ivan Felipe Silva dos Santos, Geraldo Lúcio Tiago Filho and Regina Mambeli Barros

Renewable Energy, 2023, vol. 218, issue C

Abstract: The expansion of renewable energy generation in recent years has contributed to the decarbonization and diversification of energy grids worldwide. The use of hybrid power plants is a way to optimize renewable resources and energy storage systems can mitigate the intermittent availability of these energy sources. Thus, the current study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using solar photovoltaic energy to complement hydroelectric generation or even recover reservoir levels in hydroelectric power plants (HPP). To start, data from 62 HPPs in Brazil were used. The installed solar power potential was defined for each HPP in order to improve utilization of the electric substation. Economic analyses were conducted for all three of HPPs considering the energy reductions due to the excess energy loss because of the overloading of the substation's installed power. Then, one of the HPPs was chosen to install a PHS powered by the surplus solar energy. Feasibility calculations were conducted using parameters such as Net Present Value (NPV) and Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS). The results demonstrated greater feasibility for hybrid powerplants in scenarios with low overloading of the substation and lower production rates of excess energy. The application of excess energy to recover dam levels proved to be unfeasible.

Keywords: Hydroelectric power plants; Pumped hydro storage; Renewable energy; Energy storage; Hybrid plants; Photovoltaic generation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:218:y:2023:i:c:s0960148123012028

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2023.119287

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