Hydrological Uncertainty and Hydropower: New Methods to Optimize the Performance of the Plant

Hydrological uncertainty due to daily flow variability and to the effect of climate change on water resources is a critical topic in the feasibility evaluations of hydro-power projects, especially for run-of-river power plant.The effect produced by these factors on the annual energy output of such type of plant was investigated. Empirical methods to improve the performance of the plant are proposed, which enable the choice of the most suitable design flow (Qd) according to the hydrological features of the river, to the frequency of dry and wet years in the basin and to the target energy production.