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How does Dominion Energy evaluate hybrid solar-plus-storage resources in the IRP, and how do they differ from co-located solar and storage facilities? Why are there different limits in the Stakeholder Survey?
As discussed during IRP Conference 2, the Company distinguishes between hybrid solar-plus-storage resources and co-located solar and storage facilities.
A hybrid solar-plus-storage resource is modeled as a single integrated resource in which the battery can only charge from its associated solar facility. By contrast, co-located solar and storage facilities may be physically located at the same site but can operate independently, allowing the storage resource to charge from the grid in addition to the associated solar facility.
The Company offers solar, storage, and hybrid solar-plus-storage resources separately within the IRP modeling framework to evaluate how the model selects among different resource options. Including a hybrid resource option does not require the model to select that resource. Rather, the approach allows the model to evaluate whether a hybrid configuration would be chosen under the assumptions and constraints of a particular portfolio. Similarly, modeling solar and storage as separate resources does not prevent those resources from ultimately being developed at the same location.