Abstract
Integrating renewable and intermittent energy sources into the electricity sector challenges traditional energy systems based on predictability and constant supply. Studies oncomplementarity between climate-related resources from different regions and countries are proving to be an efficient means to overcome the variability of single-source use. Although Rio de Janeiro State (Brazil) has set goals of increasing its use of clean and low carbon energy, there is no study to support the expansion process. Given that, this work aims to assess the complementarity potential of small hydropower plants, wind farms, and photovoltaic panels in the state. Power output estimates have been based on wind speeds, solar radiation and river flow data and without generation technologies assumptions. The Pearson correlation coefficient and linear programming have been used to comprehend and optimize the renewable mix. Daily complementarity has been observed among the energy sources considered, especially between hydro and solar resources. The optimization process showed an improvement of 61% in the total power standard deviation, from the worst—100% hydro power—to the best case—62% of photovoltaic, 21% of wind, and 17% of hydro power. The results highlight the benefits of appropriately joining the three sources and suggest investing in photovoltaic generation.
Highlights
As the global concern about environmental care increases, countries are led to seek sustainable growth in their economies, for it is a widely acknowledged fact that the use of renewable energy sources plays an important role in this process
Brazil is one of the major renewable electricity producers and 74.6% of its domestic electricity supply was provided by renewable sources, mostly from hydropower plants, in 2014 [2]
Despite having the second greatest Gross Domestic Product (GDP)and the third largest population among the Brazilian States [3,4], Rio de Janeiro had only 19.67% of its installed electric power supplied by renewable sources in 2015 [5]
Summary
As the global concern about environmental care increases, countries are led to seek sustainable growth in their economies, for it is a widely acknowledged fact that the use of renewable energy sources plays an important role in this process. These sources are the fastest-growing ones in the electricity sector, with expectations of a 2.9% per year increase between 2012 and 2040 [1]. Despite having the second greatest Gross Domestic Product (GDP)and the third largest population among the Brazilian States [3,4], Rio de Janeiro had only 19.67% of its installed electric power supplied by renewable sources in 2015 [5]. Since 2008, for each new fossil thermal plant installed in the state, a percentage of its power has been compulsorily invested in energy efficiency and renewable energy sources
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