Design and Experimental Evaluation of a Small-Scale Pumped Storage Hydropower System with a Low-Head Pelton Turbine Integrated with an Off-Grid Solar PV System

Authors

  • Gde Atmajaya Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Lampung, Indonesia
  • Harry Yuliansyah Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Lampung, Indonesia
  • Ali Muhtar Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Lampung, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62411/tc.v25i2.15971

Abstract

This study presents the design and experimental evaluation of a small-scale pumped-storage hydropower (PSH) system integrated with an off-grid photovoltaic (PV) system, serving as a proof-of-concept energy storage prototype. The proposed system consisted of an 800 Wp PV array, an upper and lower reservoir, a low-head Pelton turbine, a DC generator, piping, and a water pump. The system was implemented in a building-based configuration with an effective storage head of 14.65 m. The research was conducted using an engineering design approach, including site assessment, turbine design, turbine-generator testing, PSH-PV integration, and system performance evaluation. The PV subsystem showed a positive linear relationship between solar irradiance and PV output power, indicating an appropriate electrical response under field operating conditions. During the charging test, the nominal 550 L upper reservoir was filled with an actual water volume of 462 L, resulting in a stored potential energy of 18.44 Wh. The estimated electrical input energy required for charging was 105.30 Wh, corresponding to a storage efficiency of 17.51%. During the discharge test, the turbine-generator unit operated for approximately 0.61 h while the tank was being emptied and produced an electrical output energy of 5.76 Wh. DC output power generally ranged from 8.46 W to 10.03 W during the main discharge phase before dropping sharply near the end of operation. The turbine-generator efficiency was 31.24%, while the overall recoverable efficiency of the integrated PSH system was 5.47%. The results confirm the technical feasibility of the proposed PSH-PV system as a small-scale energy storage prototype. However, the relatively low storage efficiency and overall recoverable efficiency indicate that further optimization is required before practical implementation.  Keywords: Pumped Storage Hydropower, Pelton Turbine, Renewable Energy, Photovoltaic System, Energy Storage

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Published

2026-05-28

Issue

Vol. 25 No. 2 (2026): May 2026

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Gde Atmajaya, Harry Yuliansyah, Ali Muhtar

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