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Case study of MW‐sized power generation at St. Eustatius island combining photovoltaics, battery storage, and gensets
Author(s) -
Garralaga Rojas Enrique,
Sadri Hamed,
Krueger Wiebke
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
progress in photovoltaics: research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.286
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1099-159X
pISSN - 1062-7995
DOI - 10.1002/pip.3222
Subject(s) - automotive engineering , renewable energy , photovoltaic system , battery (electricity) , diesel fuel , energy storage , electrical engineering , photovoltaics , electricity generation , environmental science , engineering , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics
We present the design and performance results of a MW‐sized photovoltaic (PV), battery energy storage system (BESS), and diesel genset hybrid system, which has been now in operation for over 2 years. Built in two phases, the power generation of the island features a cumulated diesel genset power of 5.3 MVA, a PV system size of 4.15 MWp, and battery of 5 MVA and 5.9 MWh. The hybrid system reaches a renewable penetration over 46%, setting a milestone in the energy transition from fossil fuel towards MW‐sized renewable‐based power generation. The usage of voltage‐controlled grid‐forming inverters allows to switch off thermal power generation for 9 to 11 hours daily depending on the amount of solar irradiation and load featuring diesel savings of more than 1.7 million liters of diesel per year. During nighttime, the battery system is still active and has served already to avoid over 10 grid blackouts and automatically control the genset‐based generation. Furthermore, the hybrid system allows for substantial reduction in operational expenditures, spare parts, and maintenance intervals. The system also features a relevant impact on frequency, grid stability, and harmonics, hence increasing the power quality of the island. Thanks to appropriate system design based on experience and proprietary software, it is possible to predict the performance accurately and provide projections on savings.