Low-Carbon Unit Commitment with Pumped Storage Hydropower under High Solar PV Penetration Using Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming

Ramdhan Halid Siregar; Rakhmad Syafutra Lubis; Akhyar; Muhammad Nurul Hadi

doi:10.48084/etasr.18785

Authors

Ramdhan Halid Siregar Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Rakhmad Syafutra Lubis Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Akhyar Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Muhammad Nurul Hadi Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Volume: 16 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 36986-36994 | June 2026 | https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.18785

Received: 16 March 2026 | Revised: 2 April 2026 and 22 April 2026 | Accepted: 23 April 2026 | Online: 23 May 2026

Corresponding author: Ramdhan Halid Siregar

Abstract

High Photovoltaic (PV) penetration introduces operational challenges in power systems, particularly the duck curve phenomenon, which increases ramping requirements for thermal generators. This study proposes a low-carbon Unit Commitment (UC) model formulated as a Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) problem integrating Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH). The objective function simultaneously considers fuel cost, startup cost, and carbon emission cost. The model is implemented in Python and solved using the SCIP solver over a 24-hour scheduling horizon for a system consisting of ten thermal units, four PV farms, and four PSH units. Simulation results show that the baseline scenario results in a total operating cost of $342,083.98 with carbon emissions of 172.02 t. The integration of PSH reduces the operating cost to $334,436.20 but slightly increases emissions to 176.09 t. When carbon-aware optimization is combined with PSH, the total cost becomes $336,102.74 with emissions of 173.60 t. Although the proposed approach does not significantly reduce total emissions compared to the baseline, it improves economic performance and smooths net-load fluctuations, thereby enhancing operational flexibility. These results indicate that integrating PSH within a carbon-aware UC framework provides a more balanced trade-off between cost and emission considerations in PV-dominated power systems.

Keywords:

carbon emission, distributed generation, duck curve, Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP), Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH), Photovoltaic (PV), Unit Commitment (UC)

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