Optimizing system elements for hybrid wind - solar PV power plant

Abstract

In India, wind and solar PV generation exhibits complementary characteristics with each other. The study analyses optimizing system elements in existing wind farm by integrating solar PV power plant utilizing the existing infrastructure viz., land, transmission lines, Cables and Transformers, synergies in operations and maintenance. It is shown that there is increase in energy generation per acre with integration of solar PV power plant. Also, resulting cost savings in the capital cost of solar PV power plant will result in a levelized tariff of hybrid combination, which is competitive with that of existing wind farm with normative plant load factors. The levelized tariff will be directly proportional to effective installed capacity of solar PV power plant and inversely proportional to its plant load factor. It also acts as a buffer against low wind speeds as solar PV generation can complement and will reduce the output variability. Integrating solar PV power plant in the existing wind farm will optimize system elements of the wind farm.