Local Power Generation Research Articles

Evaluation of transition to 100% electric vehicles (EVs) by 2052 in the United States

With the rising need to transition from fossil fuel consumption to renewables, the transportation industry is foreseeing large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). According to various studies, the petroleum resources will last until or around 2052. Utilizing the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published data on the number of registered vehicles by each state, the profile of vehicles by 2052 was forecasted using a time series. The vehicle profile comprised vehicles by each type classified as automobiles, buses, trucks, and motorcycles. This future profile became the basis of the quantification of total EVs by the end of 2052. Based on the available fuel economy data published by the US Department of Energy, the average energy consumption per mile (kWh/mile) of each vehicle type was factored into the energy demand calculation for 100% electrification by 2052. A roof-top solar photovoltaic system is easy to install on unoccupied roof space for US house owners. Obtaining the capacity of such a roof-top solar PV system acts as a good decision-making criterion for both house owners and developers. However, for city-dwellers living in multi-family residential buildings, the potential of utilization of roof-top solar PV becomes a subject of future work when effective sharing of resources for local power generation by renewables and development of community-shared EV charging infrastructure is concerned. How well EVs performed against internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in terms of fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions is a driving factor for this transition. For energy demand calculations, a base model was framed, and results were obtained by utilizing mathematical and statistical tools. After accounting for the effects of improved fuel efficiency or reduced energy consumption by EVs over time, the model was modified to obtain revised energy demand and, thus, effective energy generation required. Accordingly, the capacity of EV charging infrastructure required by each state determined the need for preparation by utility companies and local jurisdictions. With limitations on battery size and thus increased frequency for drivers to return for charging, additional fast chargers (level 3) at existing gasoline stations become an option that requires further assessment.

Unlocking responsive flexibility within local energy communities in the presence of grid-scale batteries

The transition towards a decentralized, decarbonized, and distributed energy infrastructure necessitates techno-economic initiatives to empower local energy communities (LECs) to achieve self-reliance and evolve into self-sustained electricity networks. It is crucial to underscore the significance of network resilience, especially in the context of local power generation, battery storage, and the radial topology of low-voltage (LV) networks. While contemporary LV networks have made significant attempts to integrate distributed energy resources (DERs), the notable deficiency lies in their lack of network redundancy, posing a substantial challenge in the occurrence of high-impact, low-probability (HILP) events. Therefore, to enhance LV network resilience and leverage its capability to withstand unexpected disruptions, the network operator needs to unlock the potential contributions of end-users within the active distribution networks (ADNs). In this paper, a comprehensive model is developed based on multi-temporal optimal power flow (MTOPF) for unbalanced LV networks addressing the technical issues in islanded microgrid operational planning. The contributions of the grid-scale batteries in forming islanded microgrids and the flexibility that can be provided by the end-users in the LEC have been considered in this paper. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed model, the simulation studies have been carried out on a part of medium and low voltage networks, consisting of network reconfiguration and load transferring capability to reduce the service interruptions during HILP events. The energy-not-served (ENS) is chosen as one of the key performance indicators (KPIs) in this study. With the unlocking flexibility potentials and contribution of the DERs, including grid-scale energy storage (GES) units and Photovoltaic (PV) panels, the ENS has been reduced from 700.8 kWh to 447.5 kWh by activating the local resources, proper switching action, and contribution of the flexible loads, for one of the severe HILP events, i.e., the main grid outage. In this case, the full load curtailment index is reduced from 180 to 106 client hours.

A self-regulating optimization algorithm for locating and sizing a local power generation source for a radial structured distribution system in deregulated environment

A self-regulating optimization algorithm for locating and sizing a local power generation source for a radial structured distribution system in deregulated environment

Trends in Hybrid Renewable Energy System (HRES) Applications: A Review

Microgrids and hybrid renewable energy systems play a crucial role in today’s energy transition. They enable local power generation and distribution, reducing dependence on large centralized infrastructures, can operate independently or connected to a grid, and can provide backup power, thus increasing system resilience. In addition, they combine multiple renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydro, and biomass, to maximize the efficiency and reliability of the supply, and are also adaptable to location-specific conditions, taking advantage of locally available energy resources and reducing the need for energy imports. Moreover, they contribute to decarbonization goals by offering a cleaner and more sustainable alternative. In this article, a documentary review is presented on the interaction of Homer Pro software 3.16.2 (July 2023), used for the design of hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES), with other methods of optimization or sizing. Allusion is made to the type of architecture in the most prominent clean and fossil source configurations, the levelized cost, net annual cost, and maintenance and capital investment cost. A comparison is made among the works reported in the last five years regarding the use of this software tool, based on load demand, geographical area, renewable energy sources, fossil sources, and objective functions, applied to the educational, rural, and industrial sectors. It is shown that India is one of the countries that has reported the most number of HRES techno-economic environmental analysis works, and that the case studies have focused approximately 47% on rural areas, 20% on educational agencies, 14% on commerce and industry, and 29% on urban buildings.

Thermoeconomic analysis of a novel configuration of a biomass‐powered organic Rankine cycle for residential application with consideration the effect of battery energy storage

AbstractIn this article, the energy, exergy, and economic analysis of an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system powered by biogas to provide electricity, heating, and cooling loads for a residential building in Munich city is investigated. Two methods have been proposed to meet the heating and cooling needs of the residential building. In the first method, heating and cooling needs are provided by a heat pump and mechanical refrigeration (System I), and in the second method, these needs are provided by a radiator and absorption refrigeration cycle (System II). In both modes of this system, the effects of battery energy storage (BES) have been analyzed for peak shaving. The working method of this research is that the residential building's electricity, heating, and cooling needs are calculated by Homer and Carrier software, respectively. Engineering equation solver software models the main local power generation system. A new method has been proposed to select the required number of units to meet the needs of the building with and without BES. The results showed that for System I with and without BES, 3 and 1 ORC units with a nominal power of 2 kW can meet all the needs of the building, respectively. In contrast, for System II, the number of 1 unit with 2 kW and 1 unit with 1 kW is needed to meet the energy needs of a residential building with and without BES. It can be concluded that heating and cooling the building with a radiator and absorption chiller cycle is more cost‐effective. The energy and exergy efficiency of ORC is reported as 11.3% and 65.7%, respectively, and the highest exergy destruction rate is related to the heater and boiler. From the economic point of view, the payback period of System II compared with System I is reduced from 18.4 to 5.66 years without using BES. With the use of BES, the payback period is reduced to 5.3 and 5.66 years, respectively. The lowest and highest electricity prices belong to System I with and without BES, which are 3.11 and 0.36 US$/kWh, respectively.

Reliable local renewable power decarbonising offshore energy

Reliable local renewable power generation enables more environmentally and economically viable operations, to meet with the challenge of renewable energy intermittency and energy security. The Renewables for Subsea Power (RSP) project support targets towards Net Zero Targets by providing a full solution to generate low carbon, cost-effective, power and communications to remote locations in the offshore energy industry. The development of the RSP system is a collaborative project led by three UK-based companies in partnership with wider industry engagement from operators and the Aberdeen-based Net Zero Technology Centre. Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) is set to play a key role in the energy transition. CCUS developments will incorporate all-electric subsea systems that can benefit from the RSP solution. This first of a kind integrated solution will contribute significantly to the generation of clean energy in the petroleum industry using a Wave Energy Converter and seabed battery energy storage for production control applications. The various applications that would benefit from the cost and CO2 savings from deploying the system, compared to traditional methods, include umbilical remediation, brownfield expansion, long offsets, CCUS, and Autonomous Underwater Vehicle residency. For CCUS projects key advantages are a specific design catered towards simplified controls architecture (e.g. electric controls), and the ability to offer an alternative to direct current fibre-optic from shore. A full system demonstrator deployment commenced in Feb-23 and has demonstrated system capability to power subsea equipment and an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). Trials continue through 2024.

Optimal sizing of hybrid PV–diesel–biomass gasification plants for electrification of off-grid communities: An efficient approach based on Benders’ decomposition

Nowadays, millions of people in remote areas do not enjoy an uninterrupted power supply due to the lack of connectivity to the main power grid. Under such circumstances, the only feasible way to access electricity is typically local power generation, often relying on diesel engine–generator sets or photovoltaic arrays. However, on many occasions, this configuration does not fully exploit all available local resources, including biomass. Indeed, most isolated areas have access to local biomass production from agricultural activities, which can be used for local electricity generation through gasification. This paper addresses this challenge by developing an innovative optimal sizing tool for hybrid power plants integrating biomass gasifiers, specifically designed for isolated areas with access to local biomass production. The novel approach models the particular features of biomass gasification technologies, including long on/off times or restrictive ramping limits. To this end, an efficient methodology based on representative weeks is proposed, which is combined with a solution strategy based on the multi-cut Benders’ decomposition, thus resulting in a tractable framework that can deal with a huge amount of data efficiently. One of the most salient features of the new proposal is the consideration of local biomass production, which is included in the methodology through an original algorithm. Accordingly, a certain amount of biomass is sourced locally, leading to more accurate and reliable results. The new methodology is applied to a benchmark off-grid community in Ghana. The results demonstrate that the use of gasifiers reduces the project cost notably (by 90%) driven by the reduced biomass cost, which can be supplemented by locally generated biomass from agricultural activities. In addition, this technology constitutes a clean source of energy, reducing the total CO2 emissions by 83% compared to a baseline case in which only diesel generators are used. Moreover, it is demonstrated that biomass gasification can effectively act as base load power generation technology to reliably cover most of the local demand, thereby enabling a clean and inexpensive dispatchable local power generation. Finally, a sensitivity analysis reveals that the economic feasibility of the plant is more sensitive to the biomass cost than the selling price of biochar, resulting in a 33% increment in the total project cost when the price of biomass increases from 0 to 0.4 $/kg. Nevertheless, gasification remains as the predominant power generation technology even under unfavorable prices.

Solar-hydro cable pooling – Utilizing the untapped potential of existing grid infrastructure

Over the years, the coupling of various variable renewable energy sources has emerged as a convenient way to partially or fully overcome their highly intermittent nature and low-capacity factors. In literature as well as in practical implementations, the coupling of solar and wind power systems is gaining special attention thanks to their advantageous complementarity in time. However, an area of yet not well-documented potential is the coupling of solar PV plants with non-dispatchable run-of-river hydropower plants. In this study, Poland, which still has significant untapped hydropower potential, is used as a case study. The objective of the work is to quantify the coupling potential with special attention paid to the unavoidable curtailment of solar generation due to the limited grid connection capacity. A simulation model was developed that uses input runoff, irradiation, and temperature hourly data covering the period 01.01.2008–31.12.2022 for 236 selected sites in Poland. Hydrological data were obtained from field measurements, while the remaining meteorological parameters were downloaded from the ERA5 reanalysis database. Hydropower generation was simulated assuming a constant head and a Kaplan turbine operating at different efficiencies depending on the flow rate through the turbine. The available flow was calculated considering environmental flow (e-flows) constraints. The design flow was determined based on the average multi-year flow in the considered river. The complementarity in time of these two renewable energy sources in each location was assessed by considering the grid connection capacity and resulting curtailment in case of too high simultaneous generation from both sources. The analysis showed that the average PV curtailment is about 10.7 % (or 13.2 % when it is solar PV capacity weighted) when the ratio of solar to hydro is equal. Still, it can be as high as 19.7 % in individual cases. To ensure that PV curtailment is no more than arbitrarily (in that case) selected threshold of 5 %, the solar-PV capacity should be between 58 % − 120 % of the designed hydropower plant capacity. The curtailment threshold can be further investigated as an expansion of a techno-economic analysis that fell out of the scope of this work. The additional analysis conducted by means of daily flow data showed a significant underestimation of solar curtailment in individual cases (i.e., up to 7 pp.) and, on average, lower by 0.24 pp. could be expected. Due to interannual flow variations, although the expected mean solar curtailment can be no more than 5 %, there are individual years when it is as low as 2 % and as high as 12 % of this year’s solar generation. The lessons learned from this study shed light on the potential maximization of local power generation through coupling with PV systems and the simultaneous reduction of environmental impacts by releasing higher quantities of e-flows offset by the integration of PV systems.

Multi-scenario research on the low-carbon transition in energy-deficient cities-view from the power supply side

Cities are the places where power supply demand is highly concentrated. How to ensure power supply security while realizing low-carbon transition is the key challenge faced by the construction of new power systems. In large cities with a shortage of local power generation resources, this problem is particularly prominent. The study takes Guangzhou city as a case study area, which has the typical characteristics of “serious energy shortage and extremely high-power load density” in China. This study explores the differences in power supply capacity, structure, carbon emissions, and power supply costs under the six different scenarios set up from the power supply side for future power supply structures. The optimal power supply modes have been matched for cities with different development characteristics and needs. The change in power supply structure and the realization path under the optimal power supply modes are discussed. The results show that the power supply capacity of Guangzhou is constantly improving under different scenarios, with the highest self-sufficiency rates of power production capacity and power production quantity reaching 80% and 50%, respectively, by 2030. Despite this, Guangzhou still does not have the basic conditions for building a new power supply system through the development of local high-proportion renewable energy only due to the limitation of resource endowment. The combination with increasing the ratio of renewable energy in outsourcing power is an inevitable choice for low-carbon transition for the city. This study provides a new idea on how to build a new power supply system for an energy shortage city. It can be used as a reference for safe power supply and low-carbon transition for the power supply sectors of other cities.

Techno-Economic Feasibility of the Use of Floating Solar PV Systems in Oil Platforms

Offshore facilities have high energy demands commonly accomplished with local combustion-based power generators. With the increased commercialization of the marine renewable energy sector, there is still a need for research on floating photovoltaic installations on their performance and economic perspective. This paper investigates the techno-commercial feasibility of installing a battery-integrated floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) system for an offshore oil platform facility in Abu Dhabi. The performance analysis of two floating PV design schemes has been evaluated using the PVsyst design tool. The proposed system’s annual solar energy availability from the PVsyst 7.2.21 output was validated with MATLAB Simulink R2022b with a deviation of 1.85%. The optimized solution achieved the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of 261 USD/MWh with a Discounted Payback Period of 9.5 years. Also, the designed system could reduce carbon emissions by 731 tons per year. Furthermore, it was recognized that the contribution of the marine sector to the construction of floating platforms influences the success of floating PV systems. Independently authorized floating PV system designs would guarantee insurability from the viewpoints of investors and end users.

Energetic performance of a smart neighborhood of existing multifamily buildings with heat pumps, PV and CHP focusing on energy balance and CO2 emissions

A smart energy concept was designed and implemented for a cluster of 5 existing multi-family houses, which combines heat pumps, photovoltaic (PV) modules and combined heat and power units (CHP) to achieve energy- and cost-efficient operation. Measurement results of the first year of operation show that the local power generation by PV modules and CHP unit has a positive effect on the electrical self-sufficiency by reducing electricity import from the grid. In winter, when the CHP unit operates continuously for long periods, the entire electricity for the heat pump and 91 % of the total electricity demand of the neighborhood are supplied locally. In summer, only 53 % is generated within the neighborhood. The use of a specifically developed energy management system EMS is intended to further increase this share. CO2 emissions for heating and electricity of the neighborhood are evaluated and amount to 18.4 kg/(m2a). Compared to the previous energy system consisting of gas boilers (29.1 kg/(m2a)), savings of 37 % are achieved with electricity consumption from the grid being reduced by 65 %. In the second construction stage, an additional heat pump, CHP unit and PV modules will be added. The measurement results indicate that the final district energy system is likely to achieve the ambitious CO2 reduction goal of -50% and further increase the self-sufficiency of the district.

Interpretation of the Power Consumption Characterization of an Urban University Campus toward Power System Planning

The power consumption analysis of a university campus can provide a unique opportunity to gain insight into the patterns and trends of multipurpose commercial buildings. The result of such an analysis may lead to the exploration of methods to integrate local and cleaner power generation. In this paper, we discuss the consumption patterns of the campus buildings of the Wentworth Institute of Technology for one calendar year. We analyzed the campus’s power consumption, comparing weekdays vs. weekends, academic vs. residential. The aggregate consumption of all buildings and examples of individual building consumption data were also included. This study was conducted on a campus that has unique characteristics such as being in an urban area, having a New England climate, and being composed of a mixture of old and new buildings. The findings could provide insightful information to other universities and commercial campuses in moving toward energy consumption improvement and efficiency.

Analysis and forecast of the substitution potential of China's wind power-hydrogen production for fossil fuel hydrogen production

The predominant utilization of fossil fuels for hydrogen production in China leads to substantial carbon emissions, posing a challenge to China's objective of achieving carbon neutrality. With the rapid development of wind power in China, hydrogen can be produced through water electrolysis powered by wind-generated electricity. This process offers the potential to gradually replace the hydrogen production from fossil fuel (grey hydrogen), thus promoting the low-carbon transformation of China's hydrogen energy industry. However, further investigation is required to determine the potential displacement of grey hydrogen through the production of hydrogen from wind power in China in the future. To address this issue, this study first obtained wind speed data for the entire China region from the MERRA-2 database. Subsequently, based on the wind speed data for each specific area, the wind turbine model with the lowest power generation cost was selected from the eight available wind turbine models. On this basis, the mixed integer linear programming method is used to construct the cost analysis model of wind power-hydrogen production (WPHP). Based on the local wind power generation data, calculations are performed to determine the optimal installed capacity of the wind turbine, electrolyzer, and hydrogen storage tank within the WPHP system. Additionally, the optimal scheduling of the WPHP system is determined. These optimizations collectively result in the best WPHP cost. Based on this research, the optimal cost of WPHP for each geographical grid in China can be calculated and compared with the local grey hydrogen cost. The analysis reveals that in some areas of Xinjiang, Gansu, and Guizhou, exhibit low costs of wind power. This suggests that the substitution of grey hydrogen with WPHP can be achieved in these areas. Based on technological progress and changes in carbon trading prices, this paper predicts that WPHP in China could potentially replace 16.35–28.69 million tons of grey hydrogen by 2040. Moreover, by 2060, WPHP in China is projected to replace 76.72–92.01 million tons of grey hydrogen. According to the sensitivity analysis conducted, it has been determined that the efficiency of the electrolyzer and the price of the wind power equipment exert the greatest impact on the cost of hydrogen production.

Design and Performance Analysis of a Grid-Connected Distributed Wind Turbine

The utilization of wind energy has become increasingly popular in the United States and many European countries due to its abundant nature and optimized design. While existing wind turbines are predominantly large-scale and not suitable for standalone or distributed power production, Lubbock County in West Texas offers a diverse range of renewable energy options to meet its energy needs. The region relies heavily on utility-scale wind energy sources to supply power to the Texas Grid, replacing conventional fossil fuel-based systems. Currently, standalone solar PV systems are the preferred choice for renewable energy generation. However, West Texas possesses an ample supply of wind energy that can be harnessed to establish a microgrid and provide standalone power to rural communities. Distributed wind energy offers localized power generation, reducing transmission losses and grid strain, while conventional wind farms require long-distance transmission, leading to efficiency gains. By employing the latest technology and optimizing efficiency, even in low-scale generation, a 6-kilowatt permanent magnet alternator-based distributed wind turbine has been designed. This paper focuses on analyzing the techno-economic aspects of implementing this wind turbine in a real-world scenario, taking into account wind attributes, such as velocity and available power, at the specific location.

Promoting sustainable fossil fuels resources in BRICS countries: Evaluating green policies and driving renewable energy development

The central purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impacts of green monetary and fiscal policies on the sustainable development of fossil fuels resources in BRICS countries, through the analysis of data spanning from 1995 to 2021 and the ARDL- PMG technique. The research results confirm that green monetary policies have a greater impact on the development of clean energy compared to green fiscal policies. Additionally, the economic freedom index, green parts trade, and innovation index are components that exhibit positive effects on the development of renewable energy consumption in BRICS countries. However, the research findings also indicate an adverse effect of information and communication technology development on the greening of natural resources in BRICS countries. Based on the findings, the paper proposes several recommendations, which include reforming the green tax system, developing green financing markets, and establishing a local green fund to promote local green power generation projects.

A possible deforestation-induced synoptic-scale circulation that delays the rainy season onset in Amazonia

The physical hydroclimate system of the Amazon functions on several spatial and temporal scales. Large-scale processes control the main seasonal patterns of atmospheric circulation and rainfall. Seasonal variability in solar forcing, associated with the low rainforest albedo, provides energy for continental heating, convection, and the onset of the South American monsoon. Mesoscale processes cause localized circulations such as river breeze and deforestation breeze. We assessed the impact of different deforestation scenarios for the mid-century last decade rainy season. Here we describe a yet unreported synoptic-scale circulation that delays the rainy season onset in southern Amazonia. This model-predicted circulation is driven by extensive (ca. 40%) deforestation patterns and may last as long as two months. This persistent anomalous circulation may result in a rainy season onset delay of 30–40 d compared to the historical period. Like other synoptic-scale phenomena, differences in surface heating drive this circulation. Given the unabated deforestation trends, the consequences for local ecosystems, agriculture, and power generation of delayed rainy season onset associated with this circulation may be difficult to revert.

Tips for Buildings Energy Saving: Results of Some Research

Increasing global warming is largely attributable to human activities. International strategies have already been implemented to reduce emissions to zero, thus reducing energy consumption. Given the current world situation and the rising costs of raw materials (gas and oil), it is incumbent on us to find savings solutions that can also be implemented in our own small way; there are many solutions, especially in the domestic sphere. In this paper, the focus is on building energy savings that can be achieved using modern technologies and starting with the simplest solutions. In particular, this paper shows how the conscious use of natural lighting can lead to significant electricity savings. Moreover, it describes the effect of innovative building insulation materials and the effect due to the installation of a local photovoltaic power generation system; at the end, it illustrates the new horizons that are opening with the introduction of new building control techniques. Some studies are also reported where the extent of achievable savings can be understood.

Multi-objective robust optimal bidding strategy for a data center operator based on bi-level optimization

This paper develops an optimal bidding strategy for a data center operator (DCO) participating in the day-ahead electricity market. The DCO is regarded as a price maker managing several data centers (DCs) located in different buses of the transmission network (TN) with local renewable power generators. Based on the Stackelberg game theory, a bi-level optimization model is established to minimize operating costs and carbon emissions while spatial and temporal dispatches of workload are performed. The bi-level optimization model is transformed into a single-level using the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker technology and linearized equivalently. The Pareto set is obtained using the epsilon constraint method. Then TOPSIS combined with Shannon entropy is used to select the optimal solution. In addition, data-driven robust optimization is employed to tackle uncertainties of renewable power generations. A DCO containing four DCs and an adapted IEEE 14-bus TN are used for the case study. The results show that dispatches of workload reduce operating costs and carbon emissions significantly. Moreover, it is better to regard the DCO as a price maker than a price taker. Finally, the results with different uncertainty budgets are analyzed. All the results and analysis demonstrate the superiority of the optimal bidding strategy proposed in this paper.

Identifying Economic and Clean Strategies to Provide Electricity in Remote Rural Areas: Main-Grid Extension vs. Distributed Electricity Generation

The policy decision of extending electric power transmission lines to connect a remote area to a primary grid vs. developing local electricity generation resources must be informed by studies considering both alternatives’ economic and environmental outcomes. Such analysis must also consider the uncertainty of several factors such as fuel prices, the cost and performance of renewable and conventional power generation technologies, and the value of environmental benefits. This paper presents a method for this analysis, making two main contributions to the literature. First, it shows how to characterize the two alternatives (i.e., main-grid extension vs. local power generation) in detail for precise quantification of their capital and operating costs while guaranteeing that they are both adequate to meet forecast demand and operating reserves. Second, it shows how to properly account for the economic and environmental implications of renewable energy intermittency and uncertainty through the optimization of capital investments and hourly operations. The method is illustrated by applying this analysis method to Saudi Arabia, where the government is struggling to outline a strategy to meet residential and commercial loads reliably and sustainably in the country’s remote, scattered, isolated areas. To meet this demand, the Saudi government is considering two main alternatives: (1) extending the primary power transmission grid; or (2) installing an optimal combination of off-grid distributed generation (DG) resources, including solar PV, wind, diesel, oil, heavy fuel oil, and Li-ion batteries, to generate the electricity locally. Results suggest that under most scenarios of capital costs, fuel prices, and costs of air pollution, developing a microgrid with a large share of wind and solar power is more cost-effective than extending a primary grid 150 km or more away. Extending a primary grid powered by gas-fired combined-cycle power plants is more economical only if the load is not very high, the distance is not more than 350 km, and oil prices are relatively high compared to natural gas.

Brief Study on Installation of Floating Solar Power Plant for Sustainable Energy Generation at Ladakh

The need for sustainable power generation is well understood by human kind, which has encouraged several initiatives across government, private, community and individual level to move towards a clean-renewable energy based sustainable environment. As compared to urban and semi urban region, rural and remote areas exhibit high levels of pollution from individual power generation systems like diesel generators for agriculture and other day to day activities. Particularly, electricity supply to some remote locations have always remained a challenge owing to various factors such as connectivity, transmission losses and weather conditions. Installation of local power generation systems has several advantages in providing electricity supply to these locations. Renewable energy harnessing systems using solar, wind, and geothermal energy sources may have higher chance of ease of installation and efficient operation at remote locations compared to conventional steam or thermal power plants. Leh, Ladakh is one such remote region, highly dependent on small hydro power stations and diesel generators for its energy demand. The low temperature climatic conditions, increasing tourism and recreational activities in this region demands high energy, exerting pressure on the common electricity supply chain. This article aims to conduct a preliminary study on the potential sites available for installing floating solar power plants and estimation of energy generation capability at Ladakh region.