Development of a wind turbine system with energy storage in the form of hydropower

With wind energy penetration in energy markets increasing as part of the solution to meeting renewable energy targets, the need for smoothing of intermittent power generation is becoming more of a necessity. This paper looks at pumped hydro storage as a method for storing energy from the wind and shows the development of a hybrid system, where wind energy is harnessed to drive a mechanical pump to lift groundwater. The important design parameters for optimization of the system are discussed, as well as the possibility of a system that operates at 100% efficiency.