Basics about Cooled PV Plant Design inside the Site of a Hydro Power Plant

The objective of this work is to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a cooled photovoltaic power plant (cPVPP) incorporated to a hydroelectric power plant (HPP). For this purpose, as a methodology, we will consider the development of a basic engineering prototype inaccordance with a 100 kW p cPVPP, and, the theoretical basis analysis of the project components and conceptual application in the Brazilian standards and international engineering agencies. Implying, from the analysis, in the absence of a formal enforcement procedure, the resulting modeling provides a suitable reference route of a good engineering practice for the design, installation and operation of a cooled photovoltaic plant. Taking Brazil as a case study, the results show an estimated power generation potential of 437 GWh/year for the implementation of cPVPPs totaling around 14 MW p in several Brazilian PVPPs. Concluding, given the basic identified characteristics attention on the cPVPP, that there is Always a niche of its technical application aiming a multi-source energy utilization utilizing as a base the consolidated HPPs.