 HYBRID – introduction  1
 
  © EMD International A/S  •   www.emd.dk   •   windPRO 4.1    •   September 2024   
15 WINDPRO HYBRID 
 
15 windPRO HYBRID ........................................................................................................ 1 
15.1  HYBRID – introduction ........................................................................................... 2 
  Introduction to HYBRID ................................................................................................... 2 
15.2  Establish basic data .............................................................................................. 7 
  Example data ................................................................................................................. 7 
15.3  Setting up the HYBRID simulation ........................................................................... 8 
  Main tab, naming and calculation type ............................................................................. 12 
  Simulation periods and resolution ................................................................................... 12 
  Calculation, Setup ......................................................................................................... 13 
  Calculation, Units .......................................................................................................... 15 
  External Grid/ Import costs ............................................................................................ 18 
  Time series, windPRO calculations ................................................................................... 21 
  Time series, loaded from METEO objects .......................................................................... 23 
  Time series, Fixed energy price and Shedding filler ........................................................... 24 
  Time series specifications; inside/outside, scaling etc. ....................................................... 25 
  Storage ....................................................................................................................... 26 
  Cost and lifetime .......................................................................................................... 28 
  Finance ....................................................................................................................... 29 
  Energy value ................................................................................................................ 31 
  Time graphs ................................................................................................................. 32 
  Result graphs ............................................................................................................... 33 
  Result to file ................................................................................................................. 38 
15.4  Indices ............................................................................................................... 43 
15.5  Cost functions ..................................................................................................... 45 
15.6  Optimizer ........................................................................................................... 45 
15.7  OPTI-Storage ...................................................................................................... 49 
  Limitations in present version of OPTI-Storage ................................................................. 51 
15.8  Reports .............................................................................................................. 51 
  Report contents ............................................................................................................ 52 
15.9  Abbreviations/explanations ................................................................................... 53 
15.10  List of figures ...................................................................................................... 54 
 
   

HYBRID – introduction 2

15.1 HYBRID – introduction

Introduction to HYBRID

The windPRO HYBRID module makes it possible to evaluate the technical and financial feasibility of

energy plants with power production. The module handles time-varying prices against fluctuations in

production and can include storage. The OPTI-Storage functionality can from windPRO 3.6 handle

arbitrage (charge when price is low, discharge when price is high) and optimal handling of grid limits

(minimize the grid limit curtailment).

Time varying production calculations within windPRO for Wind and PV are smoothly loaded from

HYBRID module. Price time series concurrent to production data must be imported to a METEO object,

similar for demand time series if relevant. (Export all to grid does not require demand time series).

To deliver renewable production directly to the demands will often give the extra benefit that taxes

and tariff costs are saved, which is what often makes a Hybrid plant feasible. Demands connected

to the production units can be handled as either INSIDE or OUTSIDE the system, which is

conveniently named the “MicroGrid”.

The module can handle scenarios from very simple systems, like if it is feasible to invest in a Solar-

PV plant, and how big the plant shall be based on a given demand, to highly complex systems with

wind, PV, other green and black production interacting together, as well as storage, external grid

and an internal demand. The grid limitations can be set and can be given a cost to expand the grid

capacity and find out if this investment is feasible, or investing in, for example, storage would be

better.

Interaction with an external grid with time-varying prices is a core feature, but it is also possible not

to have any interactions with an external grid; the so-called “island operation”. Here a special feature

is the “shedding filler”, where a green or black production plant can be set to fill the gaps, when the

other production units cannot fulfil the demand, and “load shedding” would be the solution without

the “filler”.

The basis within the module is an energy balance simulation for one year where production, price

and demand time-series must be available for the same year. This simulation is repeated for all years

in the financial simulation period, where changes during the simulation period are included. Changes

could be that the Solar-PV plant degrades year by year, energy price levels increase or some plants

or storage are brought in or taken out of the system during the simulation period. All developments

by year can be controlled by freely definable indices.

For the power price simulation there is a high flexibility. Subsidies, tariffs and energy taxes can be

included dependent on which plant makes the power, and where it is used. There might be a tariff

just for the exported part of a specific wind plants production, while a subsidy is given to all PV

production. Any possible mix can be handled.

Curtailments can be based on grid capacity as well as price. If the price is negative, the production

can be shut down, like it will be curtailed when the grid limit is reached. For both curtailment types

a value can be given per MWh. Shutting down by negative prices often is compensated while the

plant helps the grid balance. If curtailment is due to grid limits, the power might be used for heating

and assigned an appropriate value is an option. Load shedding can also be given a value. If the

demand cannot be fulfilled in some hours, this has a cost, which could be the reason for investing in

storage. If the load shedding is not assigned a cost, the storage would probably not be feasible.

Scaling factors for the different technologies are part of the simulation. It is easy to see the impact

on the lifetime net cost when having e.g., a 50% larger PV-plant or storage. Here the cost functions

are a very important new tool in windPRO. Plant costs and productions are automatically scaled based

on size (simple scaling). Some plant cost types are based on formulas. For a wind park the turbine

costs depend on specific power as well as MW, rotor area and hub height. The cabling and road costs

depend on the inter-array distance, automatically calculated from the layout (i.e., this is a

HYBRID – introduction 3

simplification as the direct and shortest distances are used). Cost functions can be calibrated by the

user. Having the real cost for a newly-built plant can be entered, and the specific costs calculated

and used for the next plant. The initial values in the cost functions are based on comprehensive

studies undertaken during 2020. The user with only a small effort will have quite realistic costs for

the designed wind and PV plants and storage systems.

With the full connection between plant sizes and costs, and loans connected to plants, it is possible

to find the optimal combination of plant sizes for handling the actual demand with the given price

structures and variations in time. The optimizer will search for the plant and storage size, that

results in lowest lifetime costs.

Below is illustrated the basic business cases that can be calculated and optimized.

Figure 1 The demand is inside the MicroGrid.

With the demand inside the MicroGrid, there might be some savings on tariffs and energy taxes,

assuming these are avoided by internal production.

External plants are plants the MicroGrid purchases power from, “owned” by external organisations.

Plants inside the MicroGrid are financed and operated by the MicroGrid owner.

For demand inside the MicroGrid there is basically no income for the MicroGrid, except export. The

reference the costs are compared to is that the demand “imports all”. In key calculations such as

NPV and IRR, the “income” for the MicroGrid is the cost the demand would have when importing

all.

HYBRID – introduction 4

Figure 2 The demand is outside the MicroGrid.

With demand outside, the MicroGrid sells to demand based on an agreed price, which could be the

marked price, but could also be a fixed price or a factor on the marked price.

Here it is simple to calculate like NPV and IRR.

The reference that is compared to in this situation is that the MicroGrid deliver to the demand based

on the agreed price, but the MicroGrid import all power from the grid. Thereby the comparison to the

reference holds the extra element that it can be seen if it is better for the MicroGrid to establish own

production units/storage OR just to purchase from grid.