For several decades, critics of the expansion of renewable energies have been citing the volatility of solar and wind energy when voicing their concerns. Hybrid power plant projects are now being developed at an increasing rate and their large-scale storage systems are supplementing the generation capacity of photovoltaics and wind, whether as separate energy sources or both combined. These current market developments mean this argument is becoming less and less credible.
Together with the recent boom in power generation via renewable sources of energy, there is now a far greater demand for the use of storage technologies in large-scale power plant projects. The installation of storage systems makes it possible to cut down on peak loads which, in turn, relieves the strain on the distribution grid.
Hybrid projects which combine solar, wind and storage tanks have several advantages. These include complementary production times, with any fluctuation balanced out via storage systems; cost savings resulting from a joint grid connection for all three technologies; and reduced space requirements in relation to generation output. Hybrid power plants will be one of the key topics under discussion at both the ees and Intersolar Europe Conferences in 2023