Research on Maximizing System Profit in Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plants

Renewable Energy Sources (RES) cannot produce continuous energy. Therefore, there must be loads that can consume the energy produced at the same time. The energy produced can be wasted if not consumed. To prevent this, energy storage systems have been developed to store unusable energy and use it later when needed. These systems facilitate the storage of energy produced during off-peak hours for utilization during peak demand periods, ensuring a consistent and reliable energy supply. This study aims to maximize the system profit in Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plants (PSHPs), which is one of the oldest known and highest-capacity energy storage methods. For this purpose, scenarios are considered assuming that the energy required for the pump is met from various sources at different rates. In the first scenario, it is assumed that the pump station providing water transfer will be powered $100 \%$ from RES during the day, and at night, it will receive $75 \%$ from the grid and $25 \%$ from the wind power plant. In the second scenario, it is emphasized that the energy of the pump station will be supplied from RES during the day and completely from the grid at night. Finally, in the third scenario, it is assumed that $50 \%$ of the energy supplied to the pumping station during the day comes from the grid, while the remaining $50 \%$ is sourced from RES. Energy arbitrage is utilized in all three scenarios. As a result of the study, it is seen that the energy of the pumping stations used for water transfer is supplied from RES as much as possible, so that the grid is not overloaded, and this increases the profit obtained from the system.