- 2080 Chaitra · 6 marks
Grid-tied solar PV versus hydropower
Short answer
PV is available only during sunshine (15–20% capacity factor), connects through inverters without inertia, is non-dispatchable, and has low modular investment cost. Hydro is available day and night (50–65% capacity factor), connects synchronously with inertia and reactive support, is fully dispatchable, and has high capital cost.
Compare grid tied solar PV with hydropower plant on the basis of availability, grid connectivity, easiness to control and investment cost.
A grid-tied solar PV plant feeds DC power from PV modules into the AC grid through inverters, without batteries. A hydropower plant converts water energy using turbines and synchronous generators.
Comparison
| Basis | Grid-tied solar PV | Hydropower plant |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Only during sunshine (about 5–6 effective hours a day); zero at night; drops in cloudy monsoon; capacity factor about 15–20% | Day and night; seasonal for run-of-river (lower in dry season); storage plants available all year; capacity factor about 50–65% |
| Grid connectivity | Through inverter with MPPT and anti-islanding; no rotating inertia; can cause voltage rise and harmonics; can be placed near loads (rooftop, distribution level) | Direct synchronous connection; provides inertia, reactive power and frequency support; usually remote, needing long transmission lines |
| Easiness to control | Not dispatchable; output can only be reduced (curtailed); fast inverter control of reactive power | Fully controllable by governor and excitation; fast ramp; used for peak load and frequency regulation |
| Investment cost | Low and falling per kW; modular; installation in months; simple civil works | High per kW due to dam, tunnel, penstock and powerhouse; 4–8 years construction; geological risk |
| Running cost | Very low | Very low |
| Life | About 25 years | 50+ years |
Remarks
- PV is cheap and fast to build but variable; hydro is costly to build but reliable and controllable.
- In Nepal, grid-tied PV complements run-of-river hydro in the dry season; hydro reservoirs can balance solar variability.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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