This work analyses the configuration and operation principles of hybrid wind-hydro power plants with pumped storage integrated into autonomous electric grid systems, in order to support high wind energy penetration. The plant consists of wind generation units, combined with a pumped-hydro storage system. It operates on a daily basis, storing the surplus wind production by pumping water in an el...

(continued, page 4) (continued, page 2) Ask the average person where electricity comes from, and he or she is likely to reply, “Out of a wall socket.” Pressed further, they may suggest a thermal or hydroelectric plant as the source, depending on where they live in the country. In response to further probing, some may guess either nuclear power or fossil fuel as the origin. But it would be only ...

Since the nuclear accident in Fukushima the European electricity economy has been in transition. The ongoing shut down of nuclear power plants and the widespread installation of wind power and photovoltaic generation capacities, especially in Germany, has led to a high share of intermittent renewable electricity production. This high amount of generation with very little variable cost has led t...

The environmental impacts of fossil-fueled electricity drive interest in a cleaner electricity supply. Electricity from wind provides an alternative to conventional generation that could, in principle, be used to achieve deep reductions ð450%Þ in carbon dioxide emissions and fossil fuel use. Estimates of the average cost of generation—now roughly 4b=kWh—do not address costs arising from the spa...

INTRODUCTION Today’s electricity generation and transportation depend heavily on fossil fuels. As such, electricity generation and transportation have become two major sources of CO2 emissions leading to global warming. The concerns over environmental pollution and finite fossil fuel resources have spurred great interest in generating cleaner electricity from renewable energy sources such as so...

In the early 1990s, hoping to reduce chronic electricity shortages and enhance the efficiency of Chinese power plants, China opened its doors to foreign direct investment (FDI) in electricity generation. Using data from an original survey of US private investors, official Chinese statistics, and other sources, we assess the volume and characteristics of FDI in China's power sector, its impact o...

The purpose of this review is examination of the present scenario of electricity production and investigation of whether an electricity powered world is possible, indicating which primary energy forms should be preferably utilized. Currently, most of the primary energy used by mankind, including that employed to generate electricity, comes from fossil fuels, which need to be phased out because ...

Carbon dioxide sequestration by aquatic micro algae appears to be the most promising, environmental friendly and cost effective means of reducing carbon dioxide emission in the energy sector. Carbon sequestering–capturing and storing carbon emitted from the global energy system by such photo-bioreactors could be a major tool for reducing atmospheric CO2 emissions. Such carbon sequestration tech...

Nations or regions with limited electrical grid and restricted financial resources are a suitable market for small medium power plants with a size of 300–400 MWe. The literature presents several comparisons about the economics of large power plants (of about 1000 MWe); however there are not probabilistic analysis regarding the economics of small medium power plants. This paper fills this gap co...