Energy and Economic Analysis of a Hydroelectric Power Plant: A Case Study

Abstract

In this study, the electricity production and energy costs of hydroelectric power plant is analyzed by using actual power plants data. Using long term actual data, the capacity utilization rates of the hydroelectric power plant were estimated on an hourly basis. Economic analysis of the power plant and factors affecting the energy production costs (initial investment cost, operating-maintenance costs, etc.) were researched and the energy production costs of the power plant were assessed in detail. Additionally, for the first time in this study, a dimensionless number was defined to denote the variation of electricity consumption in the country on an hourly, monthly and yearly basis. This number was called the hourly electricity consumption coefficient (HECC). A detailed investigation of the electricity consumption in Turkey was analyzed.