Hybridization of A Floating PV System with A Hydroelectric Power Plant: Optimal Sizing of FPV And Dam Operation

Abstract:
Solar power is by many seen as one of the great solutions to satisfy an increasing need for power while at the same time mitigating climate change. A booming international market with exponential growth underpins this promise, but the growth in some markets is starting to encounter barriers. Although solar power is cheap and fast to build, it cannot supply power between sunset and sunrise and must then be combined with other power sources or storage. One such power source is hydropower. Hydropower is often combined with a reservoir that can provide storage, but in periods with little rain, even hydropower must reduce its output. Combining hydropower and solar power in a hybrid power plant can mitigate seasonal and daily constraints that both technologies face individually to provide a continuous power output throughout the day and year. Hybridization can further overcome two other barriers that the expansive solar power growth is facing, namely the need for land as well as access to the grid. By utilizing floating solar power on an existing hydropower reservoir, one can avoid conflicts regarding land use while utilizing the same grid connection, implying improved infrastructure utilization and reduced investment cost. However, solar power output can change within seconds as clouds pass. To not cause any challenge for the grid, this must be compensated for by hydropower. There is hardly any knowledge or experience about the combined hydropower and solar power regulation in hybrid systems. This Master’s project will investigate how this can be done in an optimum way.