Techno-economic feasibility of hybrid hydro-FPV systems in Sub-Saharan Africa under different market conditions

Abstract

Floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems are an emerging and increasingly competitive application of solar PV, especially in land area-constrained countries. This study focuses on the optimal dimensioning and scheduling of a grid-connected hybrid hydro-FPV system. The case study is based on a cascade hydropower system located in Sub-Saharan Africa. The techno-economic feasibility of the hybrid system is analysed under different types of revenue streams and load commitments. Moreover, the resource complementarity between solar irradiation and reservoir water inflow in different weather years is analysed. A linear programming model for optimal dimensioning/scheduling of a hybrid hydro-FPV system is proposed. The results indicate that hybridisation with FPV can under the proposed PPA and spot market structure increase the annual producer profits by 18–21% and 0–4%, respectively compared to a hydro-only system. Furthermore, it is estimated that the CAPEX of FPV should be around 42–57% lower than that of ground-mounted PV (GPV) with single-axis tracking for the hydro-FPV system to reach the same annual producer profit as the hydro-GPV system. Considering improved efficiency by cooling the FPV modules, the revenues increase by 0–3% depending on the selected weather year and market scheme.