PV power generation on hydro dam’s reservoirs in Brazil: A way to improve operational flexibility

Abstract The combined increase of energy demand and the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere force the power generation to ride by a sustainable path. Photovoltaic conversion is one of the emerging technologies pointing out as a potential source of energy for the coming years. The aim of this study is to propose a sustainable hydro-solar model to substitute the current model of power production in Brazil. The review of floating PV power plants has pointed very small participation of this technology despite the exceptional country’s geophysical condition. The big land extension occupied by solar panels to generate significant amounts of energy suggests the use of open water surfaces for the installation of large PV plants. The expressive amount of flooded areas by Hydro-Electric Power Plant (HEPP) reservoirs was evaluated to identify the potential for the implementation of PV Floating Power Plants (PV-FPP) near the HEPP dams. As a result of this study, the authors had found that by using less than 10% of their surface the HEPP reservoirs in Brazil can accommodate PV-FPP supplying the electricity demand with solar energy during peak irradiation hours while balancing grids with hydro-power during low/no irradiation times, improving the operational flexibility.