Researchers design cost-efficient utility-scale solar plant that enhances grid stability
Researchers design cost-efficient utility-scale solar plant that enhances grid stability A team led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed a utility-scale design and control system for a hybrid solar power plant that can operate with both direct and alternating current — providing more flexibility, security, and reliability than similar plants operating today. Hybrid plants include not only solar arrays but also batteries, to store energy captured from the sun. The multi-port autonomous reconfigurable solar power plant, or MARS, the project integrates a complete suite of power electronics, electrical architecture, and cybersecurity software in one package, simplifying deployment. ORNL and industry partners are working toward an initial field demonstration of MARS components that support grid stability or a scaled-down version of the full design. The majority of the U.S. power grid uses alternating current, or AC, which constant...