Estimation of electricity generation potential by solar radiation on Sardar Sarovar dam

The western region of the subcontinent of India experiences a tropical savanna climate. During summers, the temperature elevates to scorching 48ºC, which causes intensification in the evaporation rate of the surface of the water bodies of that region. One such water body is the Sardar Sarovar dam’s reservoir. This gravity dam is one of the world’s largest dams and one of the pre-eminent renewable energy sources in the country. Even though Sardar Sarovar Dam generates surplus electricity around the year, in summer, the value takes a dip. This is when the Global Horizontal Solar Irradiance (GHI) is at peak. This benefactor has been utilised by the installation of solar panels on the still water area. A method was developed to exploit this solar radiation and to depress the evaporation rate of the reservoir to increase the output by the dam. A standard model was prepared for installation of offshore solar panels at the target site. The measured value of the GHI at three nearby locations was acquired from National Institute of Wind Energy’s database. This data was interpolated at the target area to estimate monthly GHI and calculate the solar angles and the solar farm parameters. These parameters were used for sensitivity analysis to determine the variation in electricity potential by implementing different types of solar panels. The maximum value of power that can be generated by the farm was estimated to be 173.6 MW. This is 0.59% of the total power generated by the state and 2.77% of the power generated by the renewable sources in the state.