About the project
Until recently, Norway did not have any continuous eddy covariance measurements, which provide in-situ evapotranspiration and sublimation observations of reservoars of snow. This knowledge gap contributes to uncertainties in forecasted inflow into hydropower reservoirs during the snow melt season. Hydrologic modelling is fundamental and critically important for water resource managers and hydropower operators to forecast inflow. Currently, Snowpack models within operational hydrological software have very poor (if any) accounting of the sublimation process.
Flux observations will directly contribute to operational model development, parameterization and validation. This is expected to result in improved scheduling of hydropower production. To have more predictive control over the losses through enhanced hydrological modelling would create value through improved ability to optimize production and “maintain stability, flexibility and security of supply in the energy system of the future”. An overall better understanding of snow processes will also lead to improved prediction of floods contributing to safety in the downstream regions. In SnowSub we aims to consolidate, structure and develop snow research in the operational environments by engaging regional scale power production companies, experts in hydrologic modelling and field observations in a joint effort to assess model state, refine and validate forecasting routines.
The focus in SnowSub is particularly on Norwegian hydropower production, but with a long-term goal to reduce uncertainties in inflow forecasts within other regions where snowmelt contributes to streamflow. Improving hydropower production scheduling is important for transition towards zero-emission societies.
Objectives
The goals we want to reach with the SnowSub research project are particularly these:
- To quantify sublimation losses based on field observations at five flux sites in Norway;
- To develop and parameterize a sublimation subroutine (including interception from canopy) based on field observations;
- To develop a new energy balance snow routine that includes the sublimation subroutine, in the operational hydrological software (Shyft);
- To test and validate the new routine for selected catchments and at the regional scale in collaboration with the hydropower companies Stakraft and Skagerak-Energi;
- To communicate results to the wider research and user community.
- To Enhance cooperation between research institutions and industry towards zero emission society
Financing
The project acronym is SnowSub, with the full name 'Assessing impact of snow sublimation for hydropower production in Norway'. The project is funded as a Collaborative and Knowledge-building Project by the Research Council of Norway, with NFR project number 336621.
The project period for the SnowSub project is from March 2023 until August 2026.
Cooperation
The project is done in cooperation with researchers from the University of Oslo, Norway and the University of Oulu, Finland and is in collaboration with researchers and professionals from the Norwegian research institutions and companies listed below: