A Methodology to Assess the Value of Integrated Hydropower and Wind Generation

Installed wind capacity has increased at a rapid rate in recent years increasing the need for additional reserves to keep power supply in balance with demand. Hydropower is a flexible resource that can provide the needed balancing reserves. Hydropower's flexibility is limited, however, by non-power constraints from water management objectives. We present a methodology to evaluate integrated hydropower and wind using the RiverWare river system and hydropower modeling tool that captures the physical characteristics of the system and accounts for non-power constraints. An economic evaluation of includes the value of energy and ancillary services. Application of the methodology to a test case shows that wind at low penetrations adds value to the system, but complex interactions between policy and the physical system produce a highly non-linear response to changes in wind penetration. This methodology provides an improved representation of hydropower for future wind integration studies.