Solar hybrid power systems

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Hybrid solar and wind system Hybrid Power System.gif
Hybrid solar and wind system

Solar hybrid power systems are hybrid power systems that combine solar power from a photovoltaic system with another power generating energy source. [1] [2] A common type is a photovoltaic diesel hybrid system, [3] [4] combining photovoltaics (PV) and diesel generators, or diesel gensets, as PV has hardly any marginal cost and is treated with priority on the grid. The diesel gensets are used to constantly fill in the gap between the present load and the actual generated power by the PV system. [2]

Contents

As solar energy is fluctuating, and the generation capacity of the diesel genesets is limited to a certain range, it is often a viable option to include battery storage in order to optimize solar's contribution to the overall generation of the hybrid system. [2] [5]

The best business cases for diesel reduction with solar and wind energy can normally be found in remote locations because these sites are often not connected to the grid and transport of diesel over long distances is expensive. [1] Many of these applications can be found in the mining sector [6] and on islands [2] [7] [8]

In 2015, a case-study conducted in seven countries concluded that in all cases generating costs can be reduced by hybridising mini-grids and isolated grids. However, financing costs for diesel-powered electricity grids with solar photovoltaics are crucial and largely depend on the ownership structure of the power plant. While cost reductions for state-owned utilities can be significant, the study also identified short-term economic benefits to be insignificant or even negative for non-public utilities, such as independent power producers, given historical costs at the time of the study. [9] [10]

Other solar hybrids include solar-wind systems. The combination of wind and solar has the advantage that the two sources complement each other because the peak operating times for each system occur at different times of the day and year. The power generation of such a hybrid system is more constant and fluctuates less than each of the two component subsystems. [11]

The intermittent / non-dispatchable solar PV at the prevailing low tariffs clubbed with pumped-heat electricity storage can offer cheapest dispatchable power round the clock on demand.

Solar thermal hybrid systems

Though Solar PV generates cheaper intermittent power during the day light time, it needs the support of sustainable power generation sources to provide round the clock power. Solar thermal plants with thermal storage are clean sustainable power generation to supply electricity round the clock. [12] [13] They can cater the load demand perfectly and work as base load power plants when the extracted solar energy is found excess in a day. [14] Proper mix of solar thermal (thermal storage type) and solar PV can fully match the load fluctuations without the need of costly battery storage. [15] [16]

During the day time, the additional auxiliary power consumption of a solar thermal storage power plant is nearly 10% of its rated capacity for the process of extracting solar energy in the form of thermal energy. [14] This auxiliary power requirement can be made available from cheaper solar PV plant by envisaging hybrid solar plant with a mix of solar thermal and solar PV plants at a site. Also to optimise the cost of power, generation can be from the cheaper solar PV plant (33% generation) during the day light whereas the rest of the time in a day is from the solar thermal storage plant (67% generation from Solar power tower and parabolic trough types) for meeting 24 hours base load operation. [17] When solar thermal storage plant is forced to idle due to lack of sunlight locally during cloudy days in monsoon season, it is also possible to consume (similar to a lesser efficient, huge capacity and low cost battery storage system) the cheap surplus / infirm power from solar PV, wind and hydro power plants by heating the hot molten salt to higher temperature for converting stored thermal energy in to electricity during the peak demand hours when the electricity sale price is profitable. [18] [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

Electricity generation Process of generating electrical power

Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy. For utilities in the electric power industry, it is the stage prior to its delivery to end users or its storage.

Renewable energy Energy that is collected from renewable resources

Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. Renewable energy stands in contrast to fossil fuels, which are being used far more quickly than they are being replenished. Although most renewable energy sources are sustainable, some are not. For example, some biomass sources are considered unsustainable at current rates of exploitation.

Distributed generation, also distributed energy, on-site generation (OSG), or district/decentralized energy, is electrical generation and storage performed by a variety of small, grid-connected or distribution system-connected devices referred to as distributed energy resources (DER).

Microgeneration Small-scale heating and electric power creation

Microgeneration is the small-scale generation of heat and electric power by individuals, small businesses and communities to meet their own needs, as alternatives or supplements to traditional centralized grid-connected power. Although this may be motivated by practical considerations, such as unreliable grid power or long distance from the electrical grid, the term is mainly used currently for environmentally-conscious approaches that aspire to zero or low-carbon footprints or cost reduction. It differs from micropower in that it is principally concerned with fixed power plants rather than for use with mobile devices.

Solar power by country

Many countries and territories have installed significant solar power capacity into their electrical grids to supplement or provide an alternative to conventional energy sources. Solar power plants use one of two technologies:

Hybrid power Combinations between different technologies to generate electric power

Hybrid power are combinations between different technologies to produce power.

Stand-alone power system

A stand-alone power system, also known as remote area power supply (RAPS), is an off-the-grid electricity system for locations that are not fitted with an electricity distribution system. Typical SAPS include one or more methods of electricity generation, energy storage, and regulation.

Dispatchable generation Sources of electricity that can be used on demand

Dispatchable generation refers to sources of electricity that can be dispatched on demand at the request of power grid operators, according to market needs. Dispatchable generators can adjust their power output according to an order. Non-dispatchable renewable energy sources such as wind power and solar photovoltaic (PV) power cannot be controlled by operators. Other types of renewable energy that are dispatchable without separate energy storage are hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal and ocean thermal energy conversion.

Solar power in Spain Overview of solar power in Spain

Spain is one of the first countries to deploy large-scale solar photovoltaics, and as of 2018, is the first country for concentrated solar power (CSP) in the world.

Solar power in India

Solar power in India is a fast developing industry as part of the renewable energy in India. The country's solar installed capacity was 47.7 GW as of 31 October 2021.

For solar power, South Asia has the ideal combination of both high solar insolation and a high density of potential customers.

Solar power Conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity

Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), indirectly using concentrated solar power, or a combination. Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and solar tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic effect.

Photovoltaic system Power system designed to supply usable electric power from solar energy

A photovoltaic system, also PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity, a solar inverter to convert the output from direct to alternating current, as well as mounting, cabling, and other electrical accessories to set up a working system. It may also use a solar tracking system to improve the system's overall performance and include an integrated battery solution, as prices for storage devices are expected to decline. Strictly speaking, a solar array only encompasses the ensemble of solar panels, the visible part of the PV system, and does not include all the other hardware, often summarized as balance of system (BOS). As PV systems convert light directly into electricity, they are not to be confused with other solar technologies, such as concentrated solar power or solar thermal, used for heating and cooling.

Renewable energy in Tuvalu is a growing sector of the country's energy supply. Tuvalu has committed to sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable energy. This is considered possible because of the small size of the population of Tuvalu and its abundant solar energy resources due to its tropical location. It is somewhat complicated because Tuvalu consists of nine inhabited islands. The Tuvalu National Energy Policy (TNEP) was formulated in 2009, and the Energy Strategic Action Plan defines and directs current and future energy developments so that Tuvalu can achieve the ambitious target of 100% renewable energy for power generation by 2020. The program is expected to cost 20 million US dollars and is supported by the e8, a group of 10 electric companies from G8 countries. The Government of Tuvalu worked with the e8 group to develop the Tuvalu Solar Power Project, which is a 40 kW grid-connected solar system that is intended to provide about 5% of Funafuti’s peak demand, and 3% of the Tuvalu Electricity Corporation's annual household consumption.

Cost of electricity by source Comparison of costs of different electricity generation sources

Different methods of electricity generation can incur significantly different costs, and these costs can occur at significantly different times relative to when the power is used. The costs include the initial capital, and the costs of continuous operation, fuel, and maintenance as well as the costs of de-commissioning and remediating any environmental damage. Calculations of these costs can be made at the point of connection to a load or to the electricity grid, so that they may or may not include the transmission costs.

Solar power in Hawaii

The energy sector in Hawaii has rapidly adopted solar power due to the high costs of electricity, and good solar resources, and has one of the highest per capita rates of solar power in the United States. Hawaii's imported energy costs, mostly for imported petroleum and coal, are three to four times higher than the mainland, so Hawaii has motivation to become one of the highest users of solar energy. Hawaii was the first state in the United States to reach grid parity for photovoltaics. Its tropical location provides abundant ambient energy.

Solar power in Mexico Overview of solar power in Mexico

Solar power in Mexico has the potential to produce vast amounts of energy. 70% of the country has an insolation of greater than 4.5 kWh/m2/day. Using 15% efficient photovoltaics, a square 25 km (16 mi) on each side in the state of Chihuahua or the Sonoran Desert could supply all of Mexico's electricity.

Solar power in South Africa Overview of the use of solar power in South Africa

Solar power in South Africa includes photovoltaics (PV) as well as concentrated solar power (CSP). In 2016, South Africa had 1,329 MW of installed solar power capacity. Installed capacity is expected to reach 8,400 MW by 2030.

Solar energy – radiant light and heat from the sun. It has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar energy technologies include solar heating, solar photovoltaics, solar thermal electricity and solar architecture, which can make considerable contributions to solving some of the most urgent problems that the world now faces.

In 2018 Chile produced about 7% of its electricity from solar power. As of year end, it had 2137 MW of solar PV capacity. In July 2020 installed solar capacity had risen to 3104 MW, with another 2801 MW under construction.

References

  1. 1 2 Thomas Hillig (22 January 2015). "Renewables for the Mining Sector". decentralized-energy.com. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Hybrid power plants (wind- or solar-diesel)". TH-Energy.net – A platform for renewables & mining. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  3. Thomas Hillig (24 February 2016). "Hybrid Power Plants". th-energy.net. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  4. Amanda Cain (22 January 2014). "What Is a Photovoltaic Diesel Hybrid System?". RenewableEnergyWorld.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  5. "Kunal K. Shah, Aishwarya S. Mundada, Joshua M. Pearce. Performance of U.S. hybrid distributed energy systems: Solar photovoltaic, battery and combined heat and power. Energy Conversion and Management105, pp. 71–80 (2015). DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2015.07.048". Archived from the original on 2019-04-22. Retrieved 2015-08-15.
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-07-05. Retrieved 2015-05-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. Thomas Hillig (January 2016). "Sun For More Than Fun". solarindustrymag.com. Archived from the original on 2016-01-09. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-02-05. Retrieved 2016-02-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "New study: Hybridising electricity grids with solar PV saves costs, especially benefits state-owned utilities". SolarServer.com. 31 May 2015. Archived from the original on 26 July 2015.
  10. "Renewable Energy in Hybrid Mini-Grids and Isolated Grids: Economic Benefits and Business Cases". Frankfurt School – UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance. May 2015. Archived from the original on 2018-08-20. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
  11. "Hybrid Wind and Solar Electric Systems". energy.gov. DOE. 2 July 2012. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  12. "Solar Reserve awarded AU$78/MWh Concentrated Solar Power contract". Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  13. "LuNeng 50 MW Concentrated Solar Power tower EPC bid reopened overseas suppliers win over". Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  14. 1 2 "Aurora: What you should know about Port Augusta's solar power-tower". Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  15. "SolarReserve receives environmental approval 390 MW solar thermal facility storage in Chile". Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  16. "SolarReserve Bids 24-Hour Solar At 6.3 Cents In Chile". Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  17. "Cheap Baseload Solar At Copiapó Gets OK In Chile". Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  18. "Salt, silicon or graphite: energy storage goes beyond lithium ion batteries". Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  19. "Commercializing Standalone Thermal Energy Storage" . Retrieved 1 September 2017.