Medium-sized solar and wind power plants

What is the optimal size of a wind-PV-hydropower hybrid system?

The main conclusions are as follows: The optimal size of the wind-PV-hydropower hybrid system is determined to be 7440 MW for wind plants and 11160 MW for PV plants at a wind-PV curtailment rate of 3% considering both the risk and benefit of the hybrid system.

How do we determine the optimal size of wind and PV plants?

Finally, the optimal sizes of wind and PV plants are determined by a size optimization model balancing risk and benefit. A case study is performed with the wind-PV-hydropower hybrid system consisting of four cascade hydropower stations in the Yalong River basin in China. The main conclusions are as follows:

Can a hybrid system operate under different sizes of wind and PV plants?

In this study, the operation of the hybrid system under different sizes of wind and PV plants is simulated, and the benefit and risk are evaluated, based on which the optimal sizes of wind and PV plants integrated into each hydropower station could be determined. The research framework is schematically shown in Fig. 1.

What is a solar power plant?

A solar power plant is a similar large-scale project to a conventional steam power plant. However, the planning and construction of the solar part with the mirror system and heat receiver and its connection to the steam cycle require specialist expertise.

Do solar power plants have a power supply gap?

In sunny countries, solar thermal power plants can become an essential component of an energy system that mainly uses renewable resources. In such a system, with the further expan-sion of PV systems, a systematic power supply gap arises at off-peak times and at night, and a surplus during the midday peak.

Can wind and solar power be integrated into the supply grid?

However, solar and wind are variable energy sources and difficult to align with demand. Hydropower already supports integration of wind and solar energy into the supply grid through flexibility in generation as well as its potential for storage capacity.