Distributed and Bulk Power System Impacts of Renewable Energy

Dan Ton
Program Manager, Smart Grid R&D September 2011
10/4/2011
www.oe.energy.gov U.S. Department of Energy 1000 Independence Ave.,-SW Washington, DC 20585 National Academy of Engineering BMED

1 December 2008

Presentation Outline
Considerations for Integration of Renewable Energy Grid Integration Analysis
Distributed Bulk Power System

Example of DOE Projects Impacts and Benefits

December 2008 2

Considerations for Developing Country Electrical Grids

Systems are often transmission constrained
Long radial transmission lines may require voltage support

Lack of electricity markets for regulation and load following make relying on ones neighbor for ancillary services more difficult Generation dispatch may be limited; fewer generators on automatic governor control (AGC) can make regulation challenging
December 2008 3

Must Analyze Entire System

System of Systems

Generation Technologies

Transmission Systems and Technologies

Distribution Systems and Technology

End Use Technologies and the Built Environment

Analyze both distributed and bulk power system impacts

December 2008 4

Grid Integration of Renewables and DE

Central Station
Large wind farms, central station PV, CSP, biopower, hydro, geothermal, hydrokinetic, interconnect at transmission and sub-transmission levels

Distributed
Distributed PV looks like negative load on local feeders, small wind, V2G interconnect at the distribution level

December 2008 5

RE Interconnection: Technical Concerns

Wind and Large Solar (Bulk System Connected Generation)
Steady state and transient stability analysis Load/generation coincidence (Peak Load and Variability of Source) Regulation requirements Integration with Automatic Generation Control (AGC) Incorporation of renewable resource forecasting Examine current operating practice and new concepts to enable high penetration frequency responsive (create regulating reserves) demand side coordination
Most technical concerns at the bulk level have been solved with modern wind December 2008 turbines and grid codes solar following wind with new inverter developments. 6

RE Interconnection: Technical Concerns

Distributed Solar and Small Wind (Distributed Generation) Issues listed on previous slide, plus Voltage and VAR Regulation Power Quality (Harmonics, Flicker, DC Injection) Unintentional Islanding Protection design and coordination (short circuit, recloser, etc.) Equipment grounding Load and generation imbalance Generation interaction with controllable loads (DSM) Storage and storage controls
Technical concerns at the distribution level have been identified, but small RE has not been fully integrated into planning and operations. December 2008 7

Distribution Interconnection: Technical Concerns

Voltage Regulation
Often sited as the primary concern to utilities. Utilities are required to keep voltage at the customer load within a narrow operating range per ANSI C84.1. Primary objective of voltage regulation is to provide each customer connected to the utility with voltage that conforms to the design limitations of the customers utilization equipment. Voltage supplied to each customer is an important measure of service quality. Satisfactory voltage level is required to operate lights, equipment, and appliances properly. Injecting power from a DER device into the power system will offset load current thus reducing the voltage drop on the utility. The DER device may inject leading reactive power (capacitive) into the power system or draw lagging reactive power (inductive) from the power system, thus affecting the voltage drop on the utility.

voltage with DER Normal voltage range w/o DER

DER DG

The figure above shows the voltage profile along the length of a distribution circuit. When a DER is added at the end of the circuit the voltage at the end increases to a value outside of the normal voltage range. DER = Distributed Energy Resource (i.e., PV, wind, fuel cell, etc.)

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Making It All Work

Infrastructure

Operational

Generation Portfolio
December 2008 9

Issues: Infrastructure
Identifying infrastructure requirements
What to build? When? What technologies?

Building it on time
Obtaining permissions Building
Infrastructure

Operational

Generation Portfolio

Connecting generation
Issuing connection offers Building connections
December 2008 10

Issues: Portfolio Performance

Identifying the properties of a conventional fleet capable of supporting renewable targets
Integration studies will quantify levels of flexibility required to support target levels of renewable energy

Incentivising and supporting the necessary flexibility

Develop a holistic policy for energy, capacity and ancillary services payments to ensure delivery of the services required
Infrastructure

Supporting standards for a changing power system

Develop the Grid Code to deal with the changing nature of the power system Develop and implement a performance monitoring framework to ensure all users of the Grid are, and remain, compliant

Operational

Generation Portfolio

December 2008 11

Operation: Increasing Complexity

New and improved tools and facilities Operating closer to limits Dynamic rating of overhead lines Special protection schemes Develop and learn Training Studies and simulations Learn from others Identify and implement best practice

Infrastructure

Operational

Generation Portfolio

December 2008 12

Optimize Flexibility and Storage for RE Integration

Establish a framework to understand the role of storage in the grid and the relationship between variable generation and storage (and other sources of system flexibility).
December 2008 13

High Penetration PV on the Distribution: SCE

SCE MW scale rooftop installation

SCE is installing 500MW of commercial rooftop PV systems over the next 5 years 250MW utility owned, 250MW IPP Interconnected at distribution circuit level

Specific Issues: Unsure of interconnection process for circuits with over 15% PV (Peak PV/Peak Load) Voltage regulation, circuit ratings, cloud variability
December 2008 14

High Penetration PV Integration: HECO/MECO/HELCO

HECO/MECO/HELCO and KIUC already have both transmission and distribution level planning and operations concerns for high levels of PV Specific Issues:
PV Variability (ramp rates) Solar Forecasting (scheduling other generation) PV inverter models for steady-state and transient analysis Distribution analysis for over 15% penetration levels

Lanai School 2kW PV

Lanai 1.2MW PV Plant

[Example on Lanai is that no more PV is allowed on one of the 3 circuits without a full interconnection study] December 2008 15

Large-Scale PV Integration: NV Energy, PG&E, SCE

Preliminary Plant Layout of SunPower 210MW PV Plant

5 km

NV Energy, PG&E, and SCE all have large (400MW+) central station PV in their interconnection queues Unsure of operational impacts Specific Issues:
PV variability (ramp rates) PV output vs. geographic diversity Solar forecasting (scheduling other generation)

High Variability of PV output for a 14MW plant

December 2008 16

Impacts and Benefits

Capacity Reduction in peak-loads with implementation of renewable energy Power quality & reliability Impact of high levels of PV on electric power system reliability Energy efficiency - Customer benefit of local voltage regulation to reduce power consumption Operational efficiency Impacts of adding utility control over PV systems and energy storage to island power system operations Clean technology Impacts of integrating high levels for renewable energy into the electric power system
December 2008 17

Thank You
Dan T. Ton Program Manager, Smart Grid R&D Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability U.S. Department of Energy (202) 586-4618 Dan.ton@hq.doe.gov
For more information: OE: www.oe.energy.gov

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