• Energy Research

Abstract. The share of wind power in power systems is increasing dramatically, and this is happening in parallel with increased penetration of solar photovoltaics, storage, other inverter-based technologies, and electrification of other sectors. Recognising the fundamental objective of power systems, maintaining supply–demand balance reliably at the lowest cost, and integrating all these technologies are significant research challenges that are driving radical changes to planning and operations of power systems globally. In this changing environment, wind power can maximise its long-term value to the power system by balancing the needs it imposes on the power system with its contribution to addressing these needs with services. A needs and services paradigm is adopted here to highlight these research challenges, which should also be guided by a balanced approach, concentrating on its advantages over competitors. The research challenges within the wind technology itself are many and varied, with control and coordination internally being a focal point in parallel with a strong recommendation for a holistic approach targeted at where wind has an advantage over its competitors and in coordination with research into other technologies such as storage, power electronics, and power systems.

The demand for low carbon energy calls for close to 100% renewable power systems, with decarbonization of other energy sectors adding to the anticipated paradigm shift. Rising levels of variable inverter-based renewable energy sources (VIBRES) are prompting questions about how such systems will be planned and operated when variable renewable generation becomes the dominant technology. Here, we examine the implications of this paradigm shift with respect to planning, operation and system stability, also addressing the need for integration with other energy vectors, including heat, transport and Power-to-X. We highlight the knowledge gaps and provide recommendations for improved methods and models needed as power systems transform towards 100% VIBRES.

Abstract. Wind energy is anticipated to play a central role in enabling a rapid transition from fossil fuels to a system based largely on renewable power. For wind power to fulfill its expected role as the backbone—providing nearly half of the electrical energy—of a renewable-based, carbon-neutral energy system, critical challenges around design, development, and deployment of land and offshore technologies must be addressed. During the past three years, the wind research community has invested significant effort toward understanding the nature and implications of these challenges and identifying associated gaps. The outcomes of these efforts are summarized in a series of ten articles, some under review by Wind Energy Science (WES) and others planned for submission during the coming months. This letter explains the genesis, significance, and impacts of these efforts.

High penetrations of wind and solar generation on power systems are resulting in increasing curtailment. Wind and solar integration studies predict increased curtailment as penetration levels grow. This paper examines experiences with curtailment on bulk power systems internationally. It discusses how much curtailment is occurring, how it is occurring, why it is occurring, and what is being done to reduce curtailment. This summary is produced as part of the International Energy Agency Wind Task 25 on Design and Operation of Power Systems with Large Amounts of Wind Power.

An international forum exchange of knowledge of power systems impacts of wind power has been formed under the IEA Implementing Agreement on Wind Energy. The task 'Design and Operation of Power Systems with Large Amounts of Wind Power Production' will analyse existing case studies from different power systems. There is a multitude of studies made and ongoing related to cost of wind integration. However, the results are not easy to compare. This paper summarises the results from 10 countries and outlines the sudies made at European Wind Energy Association and the European system operators UCTE and ETSO. A more in-depth review of the studies is needed to draw conclusions on the range of integration costs for wind power. State-of-the art review process will seek for reasons behind the wide range of results for costs of wind integration-definitions for wind penetration, reserves and costs; different power system and load characteristics and operational rules; underlying assumptions on variability of wind etc.

AbstractDispersion and aggregation of wind power plants lower the uncertainty of wind power by reducing wind power forecasting errors. Using quantitative methods, this paper studies the dispersion's impact on the uncertainty of the aggregated wind power production. A method to simulate day‐ahead forecast error distributions at different dispersion and forecasting skill scenarios is presented. The proposed method models the uncertainty of wind power forecasting on an annual basis and at different levels of production. As a result, the uncertainty in the forecasting of spatially dispersed wind power plants is modelled using two continuous distributions: Laplace and beta distribution. The analysis shows that even the production level uncertainty can be modelled in various dispersion and forecasting skill scenarios. The model for aggregated forecast error distributions requires only four variables: capacity‐weighted distance of the total wind power plant fleet, mean of the site‐specific mean absolute errors (MAEs), number of aggregated wind power plants, and the mean variability of the elevations from the proximities of the aggregated wind power plants. The results are especially promising when the number of aggregated wind power plants exceeds five, the terrain complexity is low or moderate, and the aggregation region is large. This is demonstrated through a case study for Texas, United States.

ABSTRACT: s the share of VRE (variable renewable energy) has grown rapidly, curtailment issues have arisen worldwide. This paper evaluates and compares curtailment situations in selected countries using an objective and quantitative evaluation tool named the "C-E map " (curtailment-energy share map). The C-E map is a correlation map between curtailment ratios that mean curtailed wind (or solar) energy per available energy and energy shares of wind (or solar). The C-E map can draw a historical trend curve in a given country/area, as an at-a-glance tool to enable historical and/or international comparison. The C-E map also can classify the given countries/areas into several categories, according to the current levels of curtailment ratio and historical trends. The C-E map helps institutional and objective understanding of curtailment for non-experts including policy makers. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion