Small pumped-storage hydropower

Small pump storage power plants can be built on rivers and within infrastructure, such as drinking water supply networks and artificial snowmaking equipment. Power plants of this type contribute to decentralized energy storage and allow for flexible power generation. They allow decentralized to integrate wind power and photovoltaic power into the grid.

Technology

Small hydropower plants with an installed capacity between 1 MW and 50 MW, can be built with storage capacities. Pumped storage plants have a top and a bottom pool, which serve as storage. The following can be used as a storage reservoir:

• Artificial lakes ( created by a dam or weir of a small hydropower plant or a flood protection system ) and natural lakes (including new lakes caused by melting glaciers ).
• Reservoirs within infrastructures, such as artificial snow-making facilities, water supply systems and irrigation systems. Newly built infrastructure with storage pool, which for example because of climate change become necessary, can be combined with the production of electricity and thus used as a multi-purpose infrastructure.
• Unused galleries (eg within former mines and military bunkers ).

The potential of small pumped storage power plants has been evaluated for the territory of Switzerland. It only existing and planned reservoirs were considered, on the other hand, objections can be avoided for environmental reasons as possible as this only reduces the investment costs and. The total installed capacity of small pumped storage power plants in 2011 could be tripled to nine-fold, if the institutional framework will be adjusted accordingly.