More people are getting interested in a future defined by renewable energy. That means it’s increasingly important that today’s engineers, designers and other professionals understand the specifics of renewable power plant design.
Each project will have particular design requirements, a budget and other specifics. Even so, there are certain design options people can and should consider to make the plant perform optimally and help the project progress smoothly from start to finish. Here are some design-based concerns and options associated with renewable power plants.
Remain Conscious of Local Wildlife
Some people involved in renewable power plant planning look to nature for inspiration. That’s not a new trend, either. Back in 2014, researchers at Stanford University arranged wind turbines similar to swimming schools of fish.
They studied 18 turbines in different configurations to see which options would produce the most energy. The models showed that a design with paired turbines spinning in opposite directions got particularly impressive results. It caused a tenfold increase in power produced compared to other wind plants.
Turbine Design and Placement May Interfere With Birds
Research published in 2019 showed the design and placement of wind turbines could negatively affect local birds. A team found that three birds died for every turbine placed within 400 meters of a habitat. However, the fatality rate decreased as the distance increased. Designing taller turbines with shorter blades mitigated some adverse effects on birds.
A large-scale European study published in 2022 also used GPS trackers to monitor 1,454 birds from 27 species. The goals were to see how close they flew to wind turbines and determine if their behavior changed with turbines nearby. The information allowed mapping the places in Europe where birds are at the highest risk of colliding with power lines and wind turbines. It also showed individual birds avoid turbines if within a kilometer of them.
Solar Parks Cool the Surrounding Land
Decisions made during the design of a renewable power plant must have long-term viewpoints, too. Researchers focused on two large-scale solar parks and found they caused cooling effects that extended up to 700 meters from each location.
People involved in the research say they must learn more to confirm the specific positive and negative effects solar power may have on the ecological balance. Future designers coulduse that knowledge to check that power plants are as beneficial to the local environment and landscape as possible. Research already shows that renewable energy has numerous associated benefits. However, downsides exist, too.
Utilize a Digital Twin for Better Planning
Digital twins initially gained popularity in the manufacturing industry. These highly accurate, computerized versions of real-life assets allow people to see the effects of changes before applying them in real life.
Engineering Students Create a Smart Grid Digital Twin
Four engineering students at the University of New Brunswick are eager to increase the dependence on renewable energy in their area. They’re working with mentors that will build a digital twin of a renewable power plant that relies on solar energy. They believe the model will help them find and mitigate risks before work begins at the physical location.
The students also believe that what they learn from the digital twin will allow them to save time and money. They said what they built is reproducible for use at other locations, too. Having such information easily accessible is beneficial when working with custom fabricators to bring a project’s design to life. The details enable productive and confident discussions about what must happen and when.
Digital Twins Remove Some Unknown Factors
Siemens is already using digital twins on some of its operational wind farms. The company has thousands at worldwide locations. Together, they make enough energy to power 87 million homes. Because the company’s wind farms are so massive, representatives want to do everything they can to help those sites perform well, even during inclement weather.
The digital twin can help tell whether an upcoming storm is too severe for the turbines to handle. If so, employees will know when to shut them down to avoid damage. The current approach is for people at Siemens to add operational buffers to protect the turbines as best as possible.
However, using the digital twins allows for removing those buffers and pursuing optimization at every opportunity. It’s impossible to predict the future, but digital twins can at least make it easier for people to plan for unknown factors. Removing those unknowns is useful during the design phase, too. It could show how things like orientation and placement affect turbine or solar panel performance before people give the approval to start building.
It helps that the technology used to create the digital twins at Siemens features advanced technology. Users can then create models up to 4,000 times faster than conventional methods.
Stay Abreast of Likely Future Developments
People that understand how the future may change renewable power plant design decisions are better equipped to design a facility that meets today’s needs and those that may arise later. In one example, researchers got opinions from 140 experts about what wind turbine design will entail in 2035.
One takeaway was that on-shore turbines would reach 130 meters tall, 15 meters higher than a previous forecast. Other parts of the study expect people will make design changes so wind-based renewable power plant projects will include hybrid strategies like batteries and hydrogen production. Such changes could make installations more affordable.
Elsewhere, researchers from Oxford Brookes University found evidence people could get better outcomes by opting for vertical wind turbine designs rather than the conventional windmill-style ones.
The vertical wind turbines were more efficient than their conventional counterparts. The team also discovered that the placement of the turbine mattered for optimal performance. They increase the performance of those around them if placed in grid formations. Additionally, wind farm designers should consider how placing the wind turbines closer together could bring efficiency gains and lower operating costs.
The researchers confirmed that turbulence has a detrimental effect on how the turbines in the rear rows perform, too. Thus, even if designers don’t use vertical turbines yet, they should remain conscious of what they could do to increase the chances that the turbines perform well regardless of their location or placement in relation to others.
Thoughtful Renewable Power Plant Design Gets Results
The areas covered here show how important it is for people to consider the implications of every design decision related to renewable energy facilities. That’s the best way to proceed so the equipment performs well while mitigating any negative effects.