Modelling a hydropower plant with reservoir with the micropower optimisation model (HOMER)

Hydropower with water accumulation is an interesting option to consider in hybrid systems, because it helps dealing with the intermittence characteristics of renewable energy resources. The software HOMER (version Legacy) is extensively used in research works related to these systems, but it does no...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Fausto A. Canales, Alexandre Beluco, Carlos André B. Mendes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2017-08-01
Series:International Journal of Sustainable Energy
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14786451.2015.1080706
Description
Summary:Hydropower with water accumulation is an interesting option to consider in hybrid systems, because it helps dealing with the intermittence characteristics of renewable energy resources. The software HOMER (version Legacy) is extensively used in research works related to these systems, but it does not include a specific option for modelling hydro with reservoir. This paper describes a method for modelling a hydropower plant with reservoir with HOMER by adapting an existing procedure used for modelling pumped storage. An example with two scenarios in southern Brazil is presented for illustrating and validating the method explained in this paper. The results validate the method by showing a direct correspondence between an equivalent battery and the reservoir. The refill of the reservoir, its power output as a function of the flow rate and installed hydropower capacity are effectively simulated, indicating an adequate representation of a hydropower plant with reservoir is possible with HOMER.
ISSN:1478-6451
1478-646X