- Asked 7/21
- 2071 Bhadra · 8 marks
Thermal, wind and PV plants compared
Short answer
Thermal is firm, synchronous, 30–40% efficient, dispatchable above 40–50% load, with high fuel cost and complex maintenance. Wind is variable with 20–40% capacity factor, converter-connected, limited to cut-in/cut-out speeds, moderate maintenance. PV is intermittent with 15–20% capacity factor, inverter-connected, no inertia, low maintenance, and very low running cost.
Compare the operational characteristics of thermal, wind and PV plant on the basis of reliability, grid connection, efficiency, operating range and maintainability.
Thermal plants burn fuel to make steam for a turbine; wind plants convert the kinetic energy of air through rotor blades and a generator; PV plants convert sunlight directly into electricity in semiconductor cells.
Comparison
| Basis | Thermal plant | Wind plant | Solar PV plant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy source | Coal, oil, gas | Wind (renewable) | Sunlight (renewable) |
| Reliability | Firm, dispatchable; availability about 70–85% | Variable and intermittent; capacity factor about 20–40% | Daytime only, cloud dependent; capacity factor about 15–20% |
| Grid connection | Synchronous generators; provide inertia and voltage control | Induction generator, DFIG or converter-connected PMSG; reactive power and fault ride-through issues | Through inverters; no inertia; harmonics, voltage rise; needs grid codes |
| Efficiency | About 30–40% | About 35–45% of wind power ( less than 0.593, Betz limit) | About 15–22% (module) |
| Operating range | Stable above about 40–50% load; slow start | Generates between cut-in (about 3–4 m/s) and cut-out (about 25 m/s); rated output at about 12–15 m/s | From very low to peak irradiance; MPPT; zero at night |
| Controllability | Fully dispatchable | Only curtailment and pitch control | Only curtailment |
| Maintainability | Complex: boiler, turbine, fuel and ash handling, many staff | Moderate: gearbox, blades, bearings at height | Very simple: cleaning, inverter replacement |
| Running cost | High (fuel) | Low | Very low |
| Capital cost | Moderate | Moderate to high | Low and falling |
| Emissions | High | None in operation | None in operation |
| Life | 25–30 years | 20–25 years | 25 years |
Remarks
Thermal plants give reliable base load but are costly to run and polluting; wind and PV are clean with low running cost but intermittent and need storage, backup or hybrid operation.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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