CASE STUDY
Production is currently in continuous operation, with the regional distribution grid serving as the sole source of energy. It supplies power ranging from 3-5MW via a 33kV connection. The goal is to implement photovoltaics for production, considering the favorable conditions in Ras Al Khaimah for this type of energy generation. The area features flat roofs without installed technology, suitable for the installation of panels, as well as nearby land available for additional capacity installation.
24/7
operation time
10 MVA
grid capacity
35 GWh
yearly consumption
The location of Ras Al Khaimah provides excellent conditions for the utilization of solar energy due to high production and consistent usage throughout the year.
Due to the 24/7 operation, its direct benefit would be limited to only one day and would cover approximately 30% of total consumption. To ensure the goal of complete coverage of production from a local source, it is, therefore, necessary to consider the use of energy storage in other facilities and its supply during limited production at different times.
„The requirement is to ensure 100% coverage of the area’s consumption from the photovoltaic installation, ensuring stable energy prices and providing an additional competitive advantage from a long-term perspective.”
The solution considers the installation of photovoltaics on the surface of the roofs and the use of the surrounding land.
Due to the effort to maximize the use of the installation for local consumption, combinations of different orientations were chosen, and single-axis tracker systems were selected for ground installation to maximize production while minimizing land use and preserving the possibility of plant expansion. The dimensioning of photovoltaics was designed to ensure 100% of the plant’s consumption.
The high power of photovoltaics, over 20 MW at the peak, could not be utilized locally, necessitating a solution for the placement of the given electrical energy. Hence, the hybrid power plant concept was proposed. In this case, the hybrid power plant primarily relies on using production from photovoltaics in the local network. In cases of higher demand, energy is accumulated in the local battery system.
The battery system ensures short-term energy storage for normal operation, balancing fluctuations from photovoltaic production to maintain the technical parameters of the local network while also providing the possibility of operation as a backup source in conjunction with existing diesel generators.
The battery storage is not designed to store all the clipped energy for economic reasons; rather, it was chosen as the economically optimal solution to store part of the production from photovoltaics (about 1/3), which will be supplied to the distribution grid and delivered back during months with low PV production.
ROOF PV
(3.3 MWp)
Covers the full surface of the roofs with panels, ensuring direct delivery of their production to the building. Due to the building’s high consumption, this energy will always be utilized.
DISTRIBUTION GRID
(10 MVA / 33 kV)
Serves for clipped energy from PV for “accumulation” and is used during low PV production months.
GROUND PV
(17.6 MWp)
Serves as the main production source where, thanks to the installation of the tracker system and bifacial panels, it can generate a large amount of electricity. This will either be consumed locally or stored for later use.
BATTERY STORAGE
(4.4 MW / 7.5 MWh)
It serves for short-term energy storage and at the same time ensures the technical parameters of the grid. It stores the energy produced during the day and is used at night. Also helps to serve as a backup device with existing diesel generators sets.
The proposed solution utilizes a large photovoltaic installation that serves for direct electricity supply as well as supply through the use of accumulation in the distribution network. The local battery system provides an optimal alternative using the existing infrastructure and installation.
This alternative ensures 100% coverage of the object’s consumption throughout the year. Most of the energy is supplied directly from photovoltaics or from local accumulation, while the remaining portion is delivered through the distribution network where it was “accumulated”.
This proposal ensures the optimization of the total costs of the solution and the maintenance of the connection to the distribution network to sustain operational stability. Additionally, the solution with batteries provides the possibility of optimizing the operation and scope of the existing backup energy sources installed for the factory’s needs.
