Recording of Wednesday, June 19, 2024 | The smarter E Europe 2024 | Conference Program | Language: English | Duration: 13:46 .
Isabella Caschetto, Product Manager of Camopo Energy—a division within the SMA Solar Technology Group—addressed a session focusing on optimizing hybrid power plants' commercial operations using software solutions. She discussed how the evolving energy market impacts business models and revenue opportunities, highlighting increased instances of negative pricing and renewable energy curtailments due to grid capacity limitations. With traditional feed-in tariffs phasing out, new merchant models that reward flexibility over pure generation are emerging. Caschetto emphasized that hybrid power plants combining PV (photovoltaic) systems with batteries offer complex but rewarding opportunities by enhancing grid connection utilization. Two primary approaches were outlined: co-located hybrids that share grid connections for distinct business strategies and full hybrids requiring integrated asset management for joint dispatching strategies and various use cases like peak load shaping or avoiding curtailment. Given battery capital expenditure challenges, multiple revenue streams are essential for economic viability. Sophisticated software is necessary to manage these dynamic decisions effectively across different markets in real-time. She concluded by illustrating this complexity through an example from a German PV-battery plant managed by their solution.
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Isabella Caschetto
Product Manager Digital Services
SMA Solar Technology AG
Deutschland
Hybrid power plants play a crucial role in addressing the flexibility limitations of variable renewables. Solar and wind and/or battery storage systems improve grid-stability, allow to integrate more renewable energy and offer potential additional revenue for power plant operators.
This session will include:
Speaker
Jenny Chase
Lead Solar Analyst
BloombergNEF
United Kingdom
Speaker
Kyle David Ryan
Senior Project Engineer, Solar Engineering
RWE Renewables Europe & Australia GmbH
Germany
Speaker
Johannes Linder
Director System Design & Innovation
BELECTRIC GmbH
Germany
Speaker
Laurent Talbot
Head of Energy Storage
Statkraft Erneuerbare GmbH
Germany
Speaker
Howard Wenger
President
Nextracker
Spain