Research Spotlight
Mohamad Koubar, PhD Student, Uppsala University
We are pleased to highlight Mohamad Koubar, a PhD student at Uppsala University and in the SOLVE Research Competence Center. Mohamad’s research focuses on the integration of solar energy into the energy market and power systems, exploring synergies with battery storage and electric vehicles.
Latest Research Publication
Mohamad recently published a research paper titled “Techno-economical assessment of battery storage combined with large-scale Photovoltaic power plants operating on energy and Ancillary Service Markets” in the Journal of Applied Energy.
Key Highlights of the Research
The paper investigates the business model of combining battery storage with large-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plants, comparing operations in two European regions:
- Central Europe (case study: Germany)
- Nordic Europe (case study: Sweden)
The research focuses on electricity market operations in day-ahead and ancillary service markets, employing both technical and economic metrics to identify the most profitable configurations for the year 2023.
Notable Findings
- Payback Periods: The best-case payback period for Sweden is approximately 2 years, while for Germany it is around 6 years.
- Market Dynamics:
- In Sweden, the Nordic electricity market benefits from high ancillary market prices.
- In Germany, the Central European market is influenced by high energy market price fluctuations.
- Battery storage systems are predominantly tied to the ancillary services market to maximize profits.
- The synergy between PV parks and battery storage is limited because the battery's operations are governed by grid frequency rather than PV production periods.
Real-World Data
This evaluation is based on real-world data, including:
- Electricity prices
- Grid frequency
- PV generation patterns