In many wind farms, the ground space between the turbines remains unused. Densification with photovoltaics (PV) offers operators the opportunity to feed more electricity into the grid via the same grid connection point. This is particularly interesting when considering that grid connection often represents a bottleneck in the energy transition. However, the combination poses technical, regulatory and economic challenges. TÜV SÜD utilises the Halbturn project in Austria to exemplify what is important from a technical point of view.
The discussion about scarce grid connection points drives the integration of additional feed sources, e.g., PV modules into the wind farm. The basic idea is simple enough: wind and solar energy complement each other in terms of energy generation profiles. While wind turbines tend to supply their electricity mainly in winter and at night, PV is more fruitful during the daytime in spring and in summer. Both sources combined could mean a steady feed-in, which utilises the existing grid infrastructure much more efficiently.
In practice, photovoltaics can be installed in and next to a wind farm with up to 100% of the existing wind turbine capacity without requiring a new grid connection and without the yield losses making such a project uneconomical. This not only saves material and engineering resources but also reduces grid fees.