Analysis of the Use of a Low-Power Photovoltaic System to Power a Water Pumping Station in a Tourist Town

Abstract

The increase in electricity generation prices represents a reason why water utility companies are looking for ways to reduce costs. One of the first ideas of users was to build photovoltaic installations. Water treatment plants or sewage treatment plants usually have large unused areas. They look different in facilities that consume a lot of energy but occupy little land, and include water intakes (wells) and water pumping stations. Facilities equipped with pumps are characterized by high electricity consumption. This article assesses the possibility of using PV installations at the water intake. An analysis of energy production from the 3.0 kW PV installation in Polanica-Zdrój was carried out, and then, simulations of the possibility of providing energy via installations with capacities of 3.0 kW, 4.2 kW, and 6.0 kW were performed. Analyses of energy production and demand, as well as analyses of water production based on annual, monthly, daily, and hourly data, were performed. An analysis of the hourly coverage of the WPS’s demand for electricity was carried out with regard to the current production of energy from the PV installation, as was an analysis of the overproduction of energy from the PV installation regarding the energy demand of the WPS. The simulation results are presented for cloudy and sunny days.