Solar-hydro hybridization: Its role in tomorrow’s world

Solar-hydro hybridization has much to offer: production of renewable and dispatchable electricity, better water sharing with other users, such as for irrigation and water supply, an improved environmental footprint compared with classical hydropower plants, and the ability to meet a large share of the present and future electricity demand. This paper outlines the various options of solar-hydro powerplants and addresses the specific questions associated with hybridization, at the three time scales: minutes, hours and months. It also tries to outline the conditions in which solar-hydro can be a success, both in terms of quantitative development, and in terms of a qualitative contribution to tomorrow’s world.