The Itaipu hydroelectric energy plant may nearly double its producing capability if it put in a big floating photo voltaic plant that might occupy solely 10% of its 1,350-square-kilometer reservoir space, in line with estimates launched by power consulting and evaluation. agency PSR . The set up of floating PV might be a substitute for repowering energy vegetation, though it faces regulatory and operational constraints.
From pv journal Latam
The set up of floating photo voltaic vegetation in reservoirs shall be a chance to extend the effectivity and use of the hydroelectric energy plant infrastructure that’s already working as a substitute for repowering energy vegetation, in line with a report by power consulting and evaluation agency PSR.
With the growing participation of photo voltaic and wind sources within the Brazilian electrical energy matrix, hydroelectric energy — which continues to be the primary supply of era within the nation, with about 50% of the put in capability (103 GW of huge hydroelectric vegetation plant and 5.8 GW of SHPs ) — offers stability to the operation of the system.
Many of the hydroelectric vegetation put in in Brazil are greater than 40 years outdated: 44 GW had been working on the finish of 1984, in line with information from Aneel’s Generation Information System, and 59 GW in 1994. So there’s nice potential. to modernize and even substitute current generators. A 2019 examine by Empresa de Pesquisa Energética estimates the technical feasibility of 11 GW of further put in capability with out the necessity to develop hydroelectricity by repowering vegetation, taking into consideration certified plant that has been working for over 25 years.
In the May version of its Monthly Energy Report, the consulting agency PSR suggests evaluating these repowering alternatives with the set up of floating solar energy vegetation on hydroelectric reservoirs, noting that each choices face limitations and challenges.
Estimation of floating photo voltaic potential of reservoirs
The Itaipu hydroelectric energy plant alone, which started operation in 1984, nearly doubled its manufacturing capability by putting in a floating photo voltaic plant on 10% of the floor space of its reservoir, which is 1,350 sq. kilometers in space, in line with estimates launched by the PSR. The energy output of the floating system of this proportion shall be 13,500 MW; the hydroelectric plant has 14,000 MW of put in capability.
The estimate considers 1.4 MWp of direct present electrical energy from floating photo voltaic panels per hectare of occupied space, or 1 MW of alternating present per hectare, after altering the inverters.
Another instance cited by the Energy Report is the case of the Furnas hydroelectric energy plant. The consultancy built-in public information from the ONS into its Hydroelectric Performance Scorecard and acknowledged that since 2006, when the scorecard was launched, the plant’s common annual power has not reached its bodily power assure ( sturdy power, or bodily assure).
The plant’s common manufacturing has been 488 common megawatts (aMW) since 1999, in line with ONS information, about 16% beneath its capability. In order for the plant to achieve a median output of 15% above its power assure, a further 180 aMW is required. PSR estimates that it’s crucial to put in about 1 GW of floating photo voltaic to realize this end result, which is able to occupy an space of 10 sq. kilometers or 0.7% of Furnas Lake, contemplating a ratio of 5.5 between the ability of the floating photo voltaic system ( MWac) and its common output (aMW).
Challenges of solar-hydro hybridization
This estimate takes under consideration that floating solar energy will compensate for low hydroelectric manufacturing attributable to low rainfall or different use of water assets, reminiscent of irrigation. However, the challenges of water unavailability are much less frequent, whereas hydropower vegetation face a scarcity of demand induced, for instance, by prioritizing the dispatch of photo voltaic and wind sources over hydropower.
That is, it’s nonetheless crucial to review the real-time operation of the hybrid plant, taking into consideration the hourly operation to find out how the transmission grid is used, the quantity of power that is probably not produced (curtailment), the results for the operation of the plant, and different points.
In addition, PSR factors out, the hybridization of hydroelectric vegetation collides with the restrictions imposed by Resolution 954/2021 of the Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL), which permits the set up of photo voltaic on reservoirs, however divides the making derivatives and limits potential. sustainable power features and incentives for putting in floating know-how vegetation.
According to the consultancy, it isn’t very affordable to limit the mixture of power between sources.
Hybridization with photo voltaic can be seen as a chance within the wind sector, with main gamers reminiscent of Casa dos Ventos and Statkraft betting on the mixture.
Irrigation canals
Floating photo voltaic power also can create advantages for water our bodies apart from hydroelectric reservoirs. Some nations have put in photo voltaic vegetation in irrigation canals to scale back losses in drier and warmer areas. The Energy Report says that though photo voltaic programs put in on the bottom are cheaper than these put in on irrigation canals, a examine by researchers on the University of California reveals that canal tasks have higher monetary outcomes, taking into consideration water financial savings, elevated electrical energy manufacturing and decreased land prices.
PSR means that the latest drop in know-how prices justifies a re-examination of the potential of putting in photo voltaic programs on irrigation canals within the Northeast and even on massive infrastructure in canals and reservoirs that make up the São Francisco River Integration Project (PISF).
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