A wind and solar photovoltaic hybrid demonstrator has recently been installed at an EDPR wind farm in Cádiz, Spain. The initiative is part of EDP Renewables’ (EDPR) R&D strategy and Vestas’ increasing efforts to offer sustainable energy solutions that meet customers’ increasing need to balance energy supply with grid demand.
Vestas and EDPR collaborate on a turbine-coupled hybrid demonstrator with solar project at the Janda III wind farm in Cádiz, Spain. By connecting wind and solar through the wind-turbine’s power electronics and using its full-scale converter, the number of converters is reduced, contributing to lower equipment costs and cost of energy.
The hybrid demonstrator is a combination of an existing Vestas’ V112-3.0 MW turbine and 372 kW of a new solar photovoltaic (PV). The PV power is fed to the turbine as direct current, which is then converted and transformed by the turbine’s ad-hoc modified power conversion system in order to export the power to the grid.
By combining wind and PV, the demonstrator offers increased capacity factor and annual energy production.
The demonstrator explores a way to combine sustainable energy sources to meet the energy industry’s increased need for sustainable energy production and better integration with energy grids. It is the result of a close collaboration between Vestas and EDPR.
“This project demonstrates the mutual benefits of collaboration between Vestas and EDPR and how wind and solar through their complementarity bring cost of energy further down and can deliver stable energy production,” said Bo Svoldgaard, Vestas’ Senior Vice President, Innovation and Concepts. “The learnings will accelerate the execution on our strategy of integrating and combining renewable power as the market looks to absorb more renewable energy in the future.”
For the project, Vestas has upgraded the technical specifications of the turbine’s controllers, converters, and design, as well as installed new hardware. By connecting wind and solar through the wind-turbine’s power electronics and using its full-scale converter, the number of converters is reduced, contributing to lower equipment costs and cost of energy.
“The development and running of this demonstrator is an interesting opportunity to test some of our hypotheses on the hybrid power plants of the future. Furthermore, it gives us an opportunity to explore wind and solar technology synergies in close collaboration with Vestas,” said Bautista Rodriguez, Technical Director at EDPR.
“This project, promoted by EDPR, fits in perfectly with our R&D strategy. Research under the framework of sustainable energy has always been part of the company’s DNA,” added Bautista Rodriguez.
Filed Under: News, Projects, Turbines
