From Wind to Hybrid: A Contribution to the Optimal Design of Utility-Scale Hybrid Power Plants

Abstract

When a substantial number of wind parks are approaching the end of their lifespan, and developers of renewables are facing decisions about what to do with their assets, concepts such as hybrid power plants are emerging as a promising solution to enable renewable integration in a cost-effective and robust manner. This work proposes a decision-aid algorithm to perform a comprehensive analysis of hybrid power plants, focusing on the energetic contribution and economic feasibility of converting existing wind power plants into hybrid power plants (i.e., installing photovoltaic panels and a storage system). The analysis was performed by comparing the option of converting existing wind plants into hybrid plants with a pure repowering exercise or overplanting using wind technology only. The obtained results unequivocally demonstrate the added value of hybrid power plants as they promote: (i) a higher installed capacity and yearly capacity factor (up to 50%); (ii) an increased efficiency of existing electric infrastructures; and (iii) a positive contribution to a sustainable energy system with the ability to generate economic value.

Reduced Carbon Emissions in Lubumbashi, DR Congo, Using a Hybrid Diesel-Photovoltaic Power System

“…To model and optimize the design of hybrid renewable energy systems, the HOMER Pro was employed in this study. The tool assists engineers, researchers, and energy experts in determining the ideal configurations for a given set of restrictions, as well as evaluating the technical and economic feasibility of various hybrid power systems [41][42][43]. Multiple renewable energy sources (such as solar, wind, and hydro) can be modeled in a single HOMER Pro simulation, as can conventional generators, batteries, and other energy storage devices.…”

An Analysis of Renewable Energy Technology Integration Investments in Malaysia Using HOMER Pro

“…Based on the analysis from U.H.P. Plants [53], a hybrid renewable energy system is more cost-effective for the owners and developers of power plants as it can give better return on investment than pure repowering investment or overplanting using only wind technology.…”

“…Several simulation tools can be used to determine the feasibility of renewable energy systems in terms of the technical [37,38,[50][51][52], economic [37,38,[50][51][52], and environmen-tal [53][54][55] aspects. The analysis involves a computer simulation to determine whether the project can be proceeded or not by looking at the design of the system, economic viability and environmental impact of the project.…”

“…HOMER Pro software can optimize microgrid design in several sectors, such as rural areas, island places, military locations, and grid-connected buildings. It was created by National Renewable Energy Laboratory and improved and distributed by HOMER Energy [38,50,53,56]. The software consists of several tools that can evaluate the engineering and economic aspect of the system by comparing the base system with the current system [57].…”

Economic performance of an overplanted offshore wind farm under several commitment strategies and dynamic thermal ratings of submarine export cable

“…In 2022, Silva and Estanqueiro [69] suggested an algorithm to assess the feasibility of converting the existing wind farms into hybrid power plants. As an alternative, authors considered repowering existing wind farms without hybridization but using overplanting (only for wind turbines).…”