The Eastern Renewable Generation Integration Study: Insights on System Stress: Preprint

Aaron Bloom, Joshua Novacheck

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

Abstract

The Eastern Renewable Generation Integration Study (ERGIS) explores the operational impacts of the wide spread adoption of wind and solar photovoltaics (PV) resources in North America's Eastern and Quebec Interconnections. We explore the impact of large scale adoption of wind and solar generation on the unit commitment and economic dispatch of the largest coordinated power system in the world by simulating hourly and five-minute operations. Using NREL's high-performance computing capabilities and new methodologies to model operations, we found that the modeled system, as simulated with evolutionary change in 2026, could balance the variability and uncertainty of wind and solar PV at a five-minute level under a variety of conditions. Our simulations achieve instantaneous penetrations that exceed 50% of load while meeting an annual penetration of 30% on an energy basis. The system meets balanced load and supply in all intervals, with modest curtailment, using technologies and practices that are widely available today. However, a variety of the conditions present in these simulations deviate substantially from historical practice. In this work, we analyze potentially stressful system conditions that occur in the simulations and identify opportunities for innovation, regulatory reform, and changes in operating practices that require further analysis to enable the transition to a system with more wind and solar PV.
Original languageAmerican English
Number of pages8
StatePublished - 2017
Event6th International Workshop on Integration of Solar Power into Power Systems - Vienna, Austria
Duration: 14 Nov 201615 Nov 2016

Conference

Conference6th International Workshop on Integration of Solar Power into Power Systems
CityVienna, Austria
Period14/11/1615/11/16

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/CP-6A20-67205

Keywords

  • component
  • ERGIS
  • grid
  • integration
  • North American Eastern Interconnection
  • production cost model
  • Quebec Interconnection
  • solar
  • wind

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