EPRI quantifies the value of hydropower in the electric grid

July 12, 2013 | By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

As part of the Hydropower Grid Services Project, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and co-sponsored by the hydropower industry, focused on quantifying and maximizing the benefits to transmission grids provided by conventional and pumped-storage hydroelectric plants, EPRI has released the results of its research on the performance of three conventional hydroelectric power plants.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Nwchar

The research analyzed unit and plant performance characteristics and one-minute plant operational data from 2008, 2009, and 2010 and evaluated reductions in overall plant efficiencies under a variety of operation-related and market-related conditions for plants in the Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) and PJM Interconnection markets and one non-market region in the Northwest. The plants were owned by two investor-owned utilities and one state power authority.

The results revealed that the non-market operation of the conventional plant exhibited more efficient performance than the two conventional plants operating in established markets.

The average potential generation improvements from direct optimization, while producing the same power at the same time, ranged from 0.5 percent to 2.7 percent. For these plants, much of the potential generation increase from direct optimization may be achieved through automation and control system improvements.

The average potential plant generation improvements based on the operation efficiency analyses was 0.5 percent for the non-market plant and 1.8 percent for the two plants in the market regions. The average potential plant generation improvements based on the generation scheduling analyses was 0.4 percent for the non-market plant and 1.5 percent for the two plants in the market regions.

For more:
- see this hydropower roadmap

Related Article:
Hydropower growth slows, value remains high

http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/epri-quantifies-value-hydropower-electric-grid/2013-07-12