Energy management system design and economic feasibility evaluation for a hybrid wind power/pumped hydroelectric power plant

Renewable energies are reaching the maturity of their technological development, but before they are ready to become the main or even the only power sources in the energy mix, they must become profitably manageable. Currently there are many research topics regarding the integration of renewable energies in power systems, such as the combination of two or more sources into hybrid systems, the addition of energy storage systems, etc. The present paper studies the economic feasibility of converting an existing pumped-storage hydro power plant into a hybrid hydro-wind power plant through the integration of a wind farm in its surroundings. For this purpose, the estimated economic benefits of the existing pumped-storage hydropower plant are compared with the potential benefits of the proposed hybrid hydro-wind configuration. Furthermore, two energy management systems are conceived in order to estimate the energy generated and consumed by the hybrid hydro-wind plant, as well as the income and expenses resulting from the energy purchase-sale. The results point out the economic feasibility of the project, as well as an increased participation of the hybrid plant in the power system.