Development of a stand-alone PV power system for remote villages, making use of pumped water energy storage: An intelligent integration of a PV power system in a remote village with partial central and partial decentral PV power supply

Project Information

Grant agreement ID: JOU20155

Project closed

Start date 1 November 1992

End date 30 April 1996

Funded under

• Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of non-nuclear energy, 1990-1994

Total cost No data

EU contribution No data

Coordinated by

Engineering and Computing Applications SA
Greece

Objective

The main objectives of the project are the following : To develop and install a stand-alone PhotoVoltaic plant with an optimum combination of centralised and decentralised PV generator for energy supply in remote villages.


Almost all stand-alone PhotoVoltaic plants are equipped with battery storage systems. Batteries are expensive and heavy, have a comparatively short life expectancy and need permanent monitoring and maintenance. Experience with PV installations shows that for those complex systems battery monitoring and maintenance cannot be guaranteed in remote areas. This leads to a demand for PV plants with reliable energy storage systems at remote sites e.g. in villages far from an electricity network. Different concepts will be elaborated and evaluated from the technical and
non-technical standpoint. The efficient use of water as energy storage will be examined as an innovative alternative to battery storage. Due to the multi-use capability of pumped water (energy storage, drinking water, irrigation), and almost unlimited storage duration, water is an ideal energy storage medium for remote areas in Europe. Furthermore it is a continuous clean and environmentally compatible energy storage. Water energy storage facilitates meeting the needs and capabilities of the population (no sophisticated equipment like batteries) resulting in better
acceptance.

The expected results mainly concern the following: Development of a mathematical model for optimum PV plant design using pumped water as energy storage. This model will be validated with data taken from PV plant
installation(s) that use water as energy storage. The technical difficulties of a complicated installation will be confronted in-situ and the effectiveness of solar collection, storage and use of solar power will be examined.

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › environmental engineering › water treatment processes › drinking water treatment processes
• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › electrical engineering › power engineering › electric power distribution
• engineering and technology › civil engineering › water engineering › irrigation
• natural sciences › mathematics › applied mathematics › mathematical model

Programme(s)

• FP3-JOULE 2 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of non-nuclear energy, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

• 030404 - Stand alone PV systems

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

Engineering and Computing Applications SA

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: 89,Kallistratou Street ; 15771 Athens ; Greece
• Total cost: No data

Participants (4)

AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS

Greece

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: Lera Odos 75 ; 11855 ATHENS
• Total cost: No data

Sistemas, Analisis y Aplicaciones Renovables S.L.

Spain

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: 5,Pablo Luna ; 28230 Madrid
• Total cost: No data

Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Spain

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: Campus Universitario de Tafira Baja ; 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
• Total cost: No data

WIRTSCHAFT UND INFRASTRUKTUR GMBH & CO PLANUNGS KG

Germany

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: SYLVENSTEINSTRASSE 2 ; MUENCHEN
• Total cost: No data