Increased utilisation of the grid with combined solar- and wind power parks

About the project

Many wind farms are located on open areas due to good wind conditions. The distance to the existing electricity grid is often long, which means high connection costs. Since electricity production from wind power is negatively correlated with solar power, the utilization rate and thus the economy for the connection can be improved if a solar park is placed next to the wind farm, forming a hybrid park.

In this project we explore the potential benefits of such hybrid parks, not only in terms of aforementioned lower connections costs. We will also study how the correlation between solar and wind power differs on different time scales and locations, which may be useful when designing the park in order to mimimise the impact on the local grid. We will also explore how the forecast error for the park compare to if solar and wind are forecasted separately. Finally, we will examine how the park could interact with an increased power demand due to electrification of farms and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, which in a near future may be the closest big power consumers close to the hybrid park.

Project members

Johan Arnqvist (Earth Sciences)
Oskar Lindberg (Civil and Industrial Engineering)
Joakim Munkhammar (Civil and Industrial Engineering)
David Lingfors (Civil and Industrial Engineering)