Grid Integration

Grid integration of renewable energy, especially wind energy, is a controversial topic–and has been for nearly three decades. Frankly, I think the subject has been beaten to death and for my part the questions answered many times over. Nevertheless, those opposed to renewable energy continually raise the subject in the hopes that this is some silver bullet that will put wind and solar energy in its grave. As a consequence, renewable energy advocates ask me for help to rebut the common myths about wind energy’s “unreliability”. For this reason, I occasionally post articles or reports on the topic of grid integration.

What happens during windstorms in Germany?

By

Craig Morris

This year, it will have closer to a third renewable power, close the new target for 2020, which now stands at 35 percent. Moreover, the level of 20 percent – once thought hard to reach by 2020 – has become hard to fall below in 2015.

German grid operator sees 70% wind + solar before storage needed

By

Giles Parkinson

The company responsible for more than one-third of Germany’s electricity grid says there is no issue absorbing high levels of variable renewable energy such as wind and solar, and grids could absorb up to 70 per cent penetration without the need for storage.

Dave Tokes Blog

The untold story of how windfarms help keep the lights on

By

Dave Toke

The UK press has been full of stories implying that wind power is to blame for the National Grid having to call in expensive demand shedding measures recently to keep the lights on. What they will not tell you is how often wind power saves the UK consumer large amounts of money because the National Grid does not have to buy in expensive reserves of power. Also they do not tell you that wind power in fact has quite a substantial contribution to effective firm power station capacity.

Renewable energy and the need for storage: Lessons to be learned from the situation in Germany

By

Martin Tampier

“Up to a renewable electricity share of 60%, the addition of power storage devices is not a condition for the addition of solar PV and wind power plants… Even at high degrees of penetration (90% in Germany), the required balancing can largely be achieved without additional power storage”

Germany: Operating reserve shrinks during Energiewende

By

Craig Morris

Fluctuating wind and solar power are expected to increase the need for dispatchable generators to ramp up and down quickly. So why has the operating reserve shrunk in Germany?

Renewables International: Backing up wind and nuclear power

By

Bernard Chabot

Nuclear power covered a whopping 87.2 percent of power demand in France and 73.3 percent of power generation in 2013 (the difference stems from power trading). But because France’s nuclear fleet is so large, nuclear production led to a negative residual load about 10 percent of the time in 2013 (see slide 19) – three times the level of Denmark.