When Solar Energy Is Even Better When Combined

Solar power is the world’s fastest-growing energy source. The Global Market Outlook for Solar Power 2024-2028 report reveals that global solar installations increased by 87 percent in 2023 compared with the previous year. 447 GW of new solar capacity was added in 2023, up from 239 GW in 2022, bringing the world’s total solar capacity to 1.6 TW. Global solar capacity is expected to reach 2 TW this year, after reaching 1 TW in 2022, and annual solar installations could reach 1 TW by 2028.

While solar energy is an exciting prospect on its own, an even more intriguing opportunity is combining solar energy with other renewable energy sources through advanced technologies. Today, we’ll look at the top five combinations of solar energy and other renewable energy sources that make the most sense.

#5 Solar Pumped Water Storage

Adding solar energy to the concept of using gravity and falling water levels to generate energy, solar-powered hydroelectric storage continuously stores energy throughout the day using a solar-powered water pump powered by a photovoltaic system. The solar-powered water pump draws water from an open well and stores it in a large overhead tank as potential energy. This stored water is then used to continuously generate electricity throughout the day and night.

In some ways, pumped-storage is the world’s largest battery technology, accounting for more than 94 percent of installed global energy storage capacity, far ahead of lithium-ion and other types of batteries. The system could be used to provide rural electricity in developing countries. In addition to its large energy capacities, pumped-storage does not lose capacity due to cycling. It has the lowest cost/kWh, is reliable, and can provide continuous energy for 40 to 60 years with efficiencies of 65 to 87 percent.

Several companies are developing pumped-storage projects, including Siemens AG, Enel SpA, Duke Energy Co. and Voith GmbH & Co. KGaA. Currently, pumped-storage remains at the forefront of building enough energy storage to help balance the addition of intermittent renewables to the grid.

#4 Solar and Hybrid Inverters

Solar and hybrid inverters are a great combination, especially in areas with poor electrical infrastructure. In the case of a hybrid solar system, electricity is directed to a hybrid inverter and a battery. Once the battery is charged, the excess is sent through a smart meter to the grid power lines. This allows the homeowner to retain some electricity, which can help power the home not only on cloudy days or nights, but also in the event of a power outage.

Although this technology is expensive, it can prove beneficial during longer power outages and can also help reduce electricity bills.

#3 Wind and sun

Designed by New York designer Joe Doucet, the modular vertical wind turbine barrier may be just what solar energy needs to boost its energy-generating capabilities. The fence is modular, aesthetically pleasing and can be installed on rooftops, boosting energy production on sunny days and speeding up on cloudy days. In its standard configuration, with eight helical blades precisely spaced, the wind fence generates about 2,200 kilowatts of energy per year.

The combination of solar and wind power is already being used at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, the first airport in India to implement this technology. The modules are supplied by the Indian company Windstream Energy Technologies.

#2 Floating Solar and Hydroelectric Panels

Given the efficiency benefits of having water-cooled solar panels, having floating solar panels on hydroelectric reservoirs is almost a no-brainer. Properly cooled solar panels have an efficiency that is on average 13 percent greater than uncooled panels, meaning hydroelectric power generation would see a significant increase.

Successes of projects such as the Hydro-Floating Solar Hybrid project in multiple project locations now show a promising future for the technology that harnesses the potential of combining solar and hydropower. India alone hopes to add almost 5 GW of floating solar capacity by 2030, while the global capacity is expected to cross 60 GW by 2030.

#1 Solar and heat pumps

Solar Assisted Heat Pumps, or SAHPs, are an example of combining heat pumps and photovoltaic panels into one integrated system. The solar panels act as a low-temperature heat source that generates heat used to power the heat pump’s evaporator. A solar assisted heat pump has a large, flat evaporator panel that absorbs heat from sunlight that falls directly on it and from the air around the panel. This heat is absorbed into a fluid that passes through a heat exchanger to the heat pump. This raises the temperature and transfers this heat to a hot water boiler.

The system is relatively cheap to implement, enables low-emission water heating and can be used even in the colder months to replace indoor heating. This combination offers an efficient and sustainable solution for year-round energy needs.

A solar assisted heat pump will reduce carbon dioxide emissions when heating water because the heat pump technology transfers energy from outside to heat the water. It uses electricity to do this, but it provides more heat energy to heat the water than it uses electricity.

There are many companies on the market that offer solar-assisted heat pumps (SAHP), including Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin Industries, Bosch Thermotechnology, Viessmann Group and Stiebel Eltron.

By Jash Singh