Pumped-Hydro Storages are Balancing Electric Energy Production of Wind and Solar Reducing Average Costs and Pollution

Abstract

The new world energy policy is influenced by climate changes, narrow range of operation of Thermal Power Plants, potential risks of Nuclear Power Plants and limited resources of oil, gas and coal. Taking into account that renewable energy, solar and wind power particularly are very dependent on the climate, Hydro Power takes a new role in energy systems. Electricity conversion and storage in periods of lower consumption and electricity production from the stored energy in periods of higher demand or reduced production, are crucial for the maintenance of stable and efficient electrical system. This requirement has especially strengthened nowadays due to the expansion of integration of new wind and solar plants. These renewable sources are characterized with inherent intermittent production both in daily periods and periods of several days, weeks or even months. A number of technologies might be considered for the electricity conversion and storage, but the only nature and high capacity available technology is based on the pumped storage plants. This article studies the potential of the pumped storage plants as the effective and economically competitive technology for the storage of wind, solar, run-of-river and other environmentally friendly energies. Nuclear and coal fired plants can change power output to achieve demand but only at the price of extremely high maintenance cost. In addition, natural gas generators contribute to climate change and pollution only slightly less than coal. The pumped storage method is the most common storage system in the electricity sector. It is traditionally dependent on natural conditions, usually making use of rivers or lakes. However, some innovative methods such as the use of the sea as the lower reservoir, or a proposal to use a surface reservoir as the upper reservoir and an underground reservoir as the lower have emerged. Analyses indicate that there is a strong economic incentive for further investment in pumped-storage installations when other hydro storages and sites are not available.