USE OF FLOATING PV PLANTS FOR COORDINATED OPERATION WITH HYDROPOWER PLANTS: CASE STUDY OF THE HYDROE

Use of floating PV plants for coordinated operation with hydropower plants: Case study of the hydroelectric plants of the São Francisco River basin

Energy Conversion and Management

Vol. 171, Sep. 2018, Pages 339-349

Authors: Naidion Motta Silvério, Regina Mambeli Barros, Geraldo Lúcio Tiago Filho, Miguel Redón-Santafé, Ivan Felipe Silva dos Santos, Victor Eduardo de Mello Valério

Highlights

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The use of floating PV plants in coordinated operation with hydroelectric plants.

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Procedure for sizing floating PV plants for coordinated operation with hydroelectric plants.

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The Brazilian region case-study on the hydroelectric plants of the São Francisco River basin.

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The average energy gain was 76%, and the capacity factor increased by 17.3% on average.

Abstract

In recent years, the Brazilian electricity sector has seen a considerable reduction in hydroelectric production and an increase in dependence on the complementation of thermoelectric power plants to meet the energy demand. This issue has led to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, which has intensified climate change and modified rainfall regimes in several regions of the country, as well as increased the cost of energy. The use of floating PV plants in coordinated operation with hydroelectric plants can establish a mutual compensation between these sources and replace a large portion of the energy that comes from thermal sources, thereby reducing the dependence on thermoelectric energy for hydropower complementation. Thus, this paper presents a procedure for technically and economically sizing floating PV plants for coordinated operation with hydroelectric plants. A case study focused on the hydroelectric plants of the São Francisco River basin, where there has been intense droughts and increased dependence on thermoelectric energy for hydropower complementation. The results of the optimized design show that a PV panel tilt of approximately 3° can generate energy at the lowest cost (from R$298.00/MWh to R$312.00/MWh, depending on the geographical location of the FLOATING PV platform on the reservoir). From an energy perspective, the average energy gain generated by the hydroelectric plant after adding the floating PV generation was 76%, whereas the capacity factor increased by 17.3% on average. In terms of equivalent inflow, the PV source has a seasonal profile that compliments the natural inflow of the river. Overall, the proposed coordinated operation could replace much of the thermoelectric generation in Brazil.

Keywords

Hydro/PV coordinated operation

Hybrid PV hydroelectric power plant

Floating PV power plant

Solar hydroelectric power plant