Configuration Optimization of a Photovoltaic Power Plant in Relation to Cost and Performance

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth K. Lee ◽  
Jared T. Moore
Keyword(s):  
New Jersey ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Sensitivity Study ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Cost Of Energy ◽  
The Difference

The purpose of this paper is to examine the economic benefits of single-axis tracking photovoltaic (PV) power plants for a variety of locations with varying solar resources. Although the photovoltaic industry has been around for decades, the industry has changed dramatically in the past few years. A confluence of overproduction of panels and an economic recession have caused a precipitous drop in panel prices. Additionally, as tracking systems have matured, they have become more acceptable — technically and economically. With all these changes, it is not clear today if and where tracking is appropriate. This paper is to gauge the difference between a tracking and non-tracking configuration of a PV plant. For the purpose of this study, a net 20 MW alternating current (AC) PV plant was assumed to be developed at three different locations: California, Colorado, and New Jersey. The same panel of a moderate efficiency was picked and was used at each site. While a panel is not usually decided before development, a panel of typical characteristics was chosen so that prospective panels’ costs and efficiency could be assessed concerning tracking using a qualitative analysis. Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of each site was determined using the Life-Cycle Cost Analysis methodology. For fixed mounting structures, the tilt of the panel was optimized based on the respective weather conditions to maximize production. After the tilt was decided, an economic sensitivity study taking shading and land prices into account was used to find the most economical spacing between mounting structures. For tracking, horizontal single axis tracking was assumed, and spacing was optimized as described above. The results of the study show that the benefit of tracking increases with the strength of the solar resource. In Newark, New Jersey, tracking raised the LCOE. In Daggett, California, tracking lowered the LCOE. In Boulder Colorado, the difference in LCOE was not appreciable. The study also showed that the most economical fixed PV power plant used less land on a capacity basis at each site. However, tracking plants, regardless of location or solar resources, produced more energy (kWh) per acre of land and could be described as more efficient on a land use basis.

scholarly journals Comparative Environmental, Economic, and Jobs Impacts in the USA of Renewable Energy Compared to Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Roger H Bezdek ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Environmental Economic ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Coal Power ◽  
And Storage

This paper assesses the relative economic and jobs benefits of retrofitting an 847 MW USA coal power plant with carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology compared to replacing the plant with renewable (RE) energy and battery storage. The research had two major objectives: 1) Estimate the relative environmental, economic, and jobs impacts of CCUS retrofit of the coal plant compared to its replacement by the RE scenario; 2) develop metrics that can be used to compare the jobs impacts of coal fueled power plants to those of renewable energy. The hypotheses tested are: 1) The RE option will reduce CO2 emissions more than the CCUS option. We reject this hypothesis: We found that the CCUS option will reduce CO2 emissions more than the RE option. 2) The RE option will generate greater economic benefits than the CCUS option. We reject this hypothesis: We found that the CCUS option will create greater economic and jobs benefits than the RE option. 3) The RE option will create more jobs per MW than the CCUS option. We reject this hypothesis: We found that the CCUS option will create more jobs per MW more than the RE option. We discuss the implications of these findings.

Variance of Atmosphere Dispersion Factor for Accident Release from Nuclear Power Plant

2012 ◽  
Vol 518-523 ◽  
pp. 1242-1246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Ping Guo ◽  
Chun Lin Yang
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Probability Distribution ◽  
Wind Direction ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Atmospheric Dispersion ◽  
Radioactive Material ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Release Height

The growing concern over the effect of atmosphere dispersion resulted from radioactive material was noticeable. This paper demonstrated the variance of atmosphere dispersion factor for accident release from nuclear power plant through running PAVAN (Atmospheric Dispersion of Radioactive Releases from Nuclear Power Plants) model. Also, we investigated the effect of release height (short for H) on atmosphere dispersion factor and compared the correlation between atmosphere dispersion factor and dispersion distance. Our results showed that atmosphere dispersion factor would descend with increased release height. As dispersion distance increasing, the tendency of atmosphere dispersion factor expressed complicated status caused by the difference of wind direction. It was illustrated that the phenomena was caused by the integrated action between the wind direction and release height. The probability distribution of atmosphere dispersion factor also validated that the distribution was depend on the wind direction. Probability analysis indicated that the atmosphere dispersion factor under H=100m was overall less than that under H=75m.

scholarly journals Thermodynamic Analysis of Chemical Looping Combustion Based Power Plants for Gaseous and Solid Fuels

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sivaji Seepana ◽  
Aritra Chakraborty ◽  
Kannan Kaliyaperumal ◽  
Guruchandran Pocha Saminathan
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Thermodynamic Analysis ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Combustion Process ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Chemical Looping Combustion ◽  
Solid Fuels ◽  
Chemical Looping ◽  
Gaseous Fuels ◽  
The Difference

Abstract The chemical looping combustion (CLC) process is a promising technology for capturing CO2 at the source due to its inherent separation of flue gas from nitrogen. In this regard, the present study is focused on the development of various Rankine cycle based CLC power plant layouts for gaseous and solid fuels. To evaluate the performance of these CLC based cycles, a detailed thermodynamic analysis has been carried out with natural gas (NG)& synthesis gas as gaseous fuels and lignite as solid fuel. For lignite based power production, in-site gasification CLC (iG-CLC) for syngas generation and CLC based combustion process employed. The Energy analysis showed that NG based power plant has a net efficiency of 40.44% with CO2 capture and compression which is the highest among all cases while the same for syngas based power plant is 38.06%. The difference in net efficiency between NG and syngas power plants is attributed to the variation in CO2 compression cost. For lignite based iG-CLC power plant layout, the net efficiency of 39.64% is observed which is higher than syngas fuelledCLC power plant. This shows the potential of CLC technology for power generation applications with or without CO2 capture.

scholarly journals An approach to balance state of charges of distributed batteries in virtual power plants

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Duc Huu Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
State Of Charge ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Virtual Power ◽  
Distributed Energy ◽  
Virtual Power Plant ◽  
Virtual Power Plants ◽  
Balance State ◽  
The Difference

Small distributed energy sources could be aggregated to form a virtual power plant (VPP) in order to overall improve technical and market issues. VPPs should be composed of several distributed batteries (DB) to solve the problem of intermittency due to wind and solar. This paper presents an approach to balance state of charge batteries. It is therefore to improve the lifetime of batteries in VPPs. According to the proposed method, the real-time SOC of DB will be tracking on the balancing SOC determined in VPP. During operation, the difference of SOC among DBs will be shrunk and finally the share of exchange power among DB is equal. Moreover, the duration time to achieve the balancing SOC can be determined by adjusting the exponent parameter of SOC in the presented function.

The Effect of Coal-Fired Power Plant Closures on Emergency Department Visits for Asthma-Related Conditions Among 0- to 4-Year-Old Children in Chicago, 2009–2017

2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e9
Author(s):  
Sarah Komisarow ◽  
Emily L. Pakhtigian
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Plant Closures ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Zip Code

Objectives. To investigate the effects of coal-fired power plant closures on zip code–level rates of emergency department visits for asthma-related conditions among 0- to 4-year-old children in Chicago, Illinois. Methods. We used data on wind, population, PM2.5 (particulates measuring ≤ 2.5 µm in diameter), and zip code–level rates of emergency department visits for asthma-related conditions among 0- to 4-year-old children between 2009 and 2017 in Chicago. The difference-in-differences research design compared rates of emergency department visits in zip codes near 3 coal-fired power plants before and after their closures to rates in zip codes farther away during the same time period. Results. We found that emergency department visits for asthma-related conditions among 0- to 4-year-old children decreased by 12% in zip codes near the 3 coal-fired power plants following their closures relative to rates in zip codes farther away during the same period. The crude and age-specific rates of emergency department visits decreased by 2.41 visits per ten thousand inhabitants and 35.63 visits per ten thousand children aged 0 to 4 years, respectively. Conclusions. Our findings demonstrate that closing coal-fired power plants can lead to improvements in the respiratory health of young children. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print March 18, 2021: e1–e9. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306155 )

scholarly journals Solar Power Plant Generation Short-Term Forecasting Model

2018 ◽  
Vol 208 ◽  
pp. 04004
Author(s):  
Stanislav Eroshenko ◽  
Elena Kochneva ◽  
Pavel Kruchkov ◽  
Aleksandra Khalyasmaa
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Solar Power Plant ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Variable Capacity ◽  
Solar Power Plants ◽  
Rapid Pace ◽  
Short Term Forecasting

Recently, renewable generation plays an increasingly important role in the energy balance. Solar energy is developing at a rapid pace, while the solar power plants output depends on weather conditions. Solar power plant output short-term forecasting is an urgent issue. The future electricity generation qualitative forecasts allow electricity producers and network operators to actively manage the variable capacity of solar power plants, and thereby to optimally integrate the solar resources into the country's overall power system. The article presents one of the possible approaches to the solution of the short-term forecasting problem of a solar power plant output.

scholarly journals Technological Solutions for Recycling Ash Slag from the Cao Ngan Coal Power Plant in Vietnam

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thriveni Thenepalli ◽  
Nguyen Ngoc ◽  
Lai Tuan ◽  
Trinh Son ◽  
Ho Hieu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Carbon Mineralization ◽  
Coal Ash ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Treatment Technology ◽  
Resource Saving

Annually, coal-fired power plants in Vietnam discharge hundreds of thousand tons of coal ash. Most of this ash goes into the environment without treatment or any plan for the efficient reuse of this precious resource. There are many reasons for this, such as poor quality of the ash, no suitable and feasible ash treatment technology, a lack of awareness about environmental pollution and resource saving, and inappropriate sanctions and policies. This study analyzed and summarized information and data pertaining to the current status of the production, discharge, and utilization of coal ash from the Cao Ngan Power Plant (CNPP) in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam. In addition, the potential for applying advanced emission reduction technologies in order to recycle coal ash for cement production, as well as geographical, socio-economic, and market factors were assessed. This paper reveals the results of a preliminary assessment of carbon-mineralization technologies which seek to achieve the following three goals: (1) effectively disposing of coal ash to protect the environment and local community, (2) contributing to the nationally determined effort to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions which cause climate change, and (3) making value-added products and bringing economic benefits to a sustainable society.

scholarly journals Risk Assessment of Extreme Weather Conditions for Nuclear Power Plants at Tidal Rivers

2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heinz-Peter Berg ◽  
Matias Krauß
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Tidal Rivers

Risk Assessment of Extreme Weather Conditions for Nuclear Power Plants at Tidal RiversThe effects of flooding on a nuclear power plant site may have a major bearing on the safety of the plant and may result in a common cause failure for safety related systems, such as the emergency power supply systems. For river sites with tidal influences, an extreme flood event - tide combined with storm water level set-up - must be assumed. A storm-tide must be covered with an exceeding frequency of 10-4/a. However, the risk assessment regarding the availability of systems and components of a nuclear power plant also includes the situation of extreme low water level of rivers, i. e. below the minimum water level necessary for the supply of the nuclear power plants with cooling water.

scholarly journals Effect of Solar Tracking on the Economic Viability of a Large-Scale PV Power Plant

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 55-65
Author(s):  
Ephraim Bonah Agyekum ◽  
Bright Kwame Afornu ◽  
Michael Nii Sanka Ansah
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Discount Rate ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Cost Of Energy ◽  
Solar Tracking ◽  
The Cost

AbstractThis paper evaluated the economic potential of three different photovoltaic energy technologies at a selected site, Wa, in the Upper West region of Ghana. The cost of energy and net present value metrics were used to ascertain the cost-effectiveness of these technologies (fixed, single and double axis tracker systems). From the analysis, all three technologies are economically viable at the selected site, however, a sensitivity analysis shows that the fixed axis tracker is unviable at a discount rate above 2 % whiles that of the single and double axis power plants also become impracticable at a discount rate above 6 % using the financial input parameters adopted for the study. This is an indication that, even though the selected site may have the required solar radiation for the development of large-scale PV power plant, there is the need to create the necessary conducive financial environment to enable such projects to become viable. The double axis tracking system was identified as the optimum system that should be deployed at the selected site to get the best in terms of affordability of electricity to consumers and equity payback.

scholarly journals Study of the solar power plant power generation forecasting model.

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-76
Author(s):  
KARDASH D. ◽  
◽  
LYUBIMENKO, E.N. ◽  
KONDRATENKO, V. ◽  
TYUTYUNNYK, N. ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Analytical Data ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Energy Output ◽  
Solar Power Plant ◽  
Photovoltaic Panel ◽  
Nonlinear Object

The question of determining the possible capacity of a photovoltaic power plant is very acute due to the growing demand for renewable energy, coupled with the fact that during the day we have limited time to generate energy from such a source. Thus, based on the obtained analytical data, which allows to predict weather conditions, it is possible to regulate the amount of energy supplied to the network in a certain way due to more maneuverable power plants. In previous years, electrical engineering scientists and researchers from different countries have developed and implemented methods for determining weather conditions, such as clouds, air temperature, atmospheric dust and others, as well as their impact on the energy output of a solar power plant. A photovoltaic panel is a complex nonlinear object with many variables. In addition to the structural features of the module, the output is most affected by solar radiation and panel temperature. When researching the prediction of the amount of energy produced, it is important to find sufficiently reliable and consistent data. At the forefront of these issues are US universities and research centers. For example, the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, in 2006 put into operation a set of measurements of weather conditions: the level of sunlight, ambient temperature, wind speed, humidity and others. When calculating the power generated by the panels, it is assumed that the system operates at the point of maximum power. The scheme works as follows: we set the values of temperature (Temperature) and irradiation (Irradiance); we apply voltage to the output terminals of the array by changing its value from 0 to Voc. We take current readings at each point, we find the power for each point, we find the maximum among the obtained array of points. Repeat over the entire range of input values. Thus, we obtain a graph of the output power of Figs. 4 pre-considering the losses in the inverter.

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