GETTING NEW ENERGY ON THE WIRES

Regrid: Re-wiring the thinking on grid-tied renewables; The challenges of integrating renewables into existing grid infrastructure, and how Regrid is addressing this
Albrecht Tiedmann, 10 June 2011 (CSP Today)

"Renewables like CSP, PV, and wind are evolving rapidly…In Germany, at certain wind or sunshine and load conditions, the share of renewable energy generation can exceed 50% of total energy demand…[P] rices for the technologies continue to decline…[so] the percentage of renewables will - and must - rise [further]…

"…[This] raises important issues and questions, such as whether the energy supply system can safely sustain high amounts of [variable] wind and solar energy…Transmission grid operators face the challenge of balancing the energy system…[which means they] must grapple with how best to forecast wind and solar power for dispatch centres and how to reduce forecast errors."

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"…[G]overnments, utilities, OEMs and other stakeholders must find ways to balance rising energy demand with weather dependant renewables, and to balance the cost of grid integration…

"Most capacity building programs tend to focus on know-how on project development, operation of projects or their maintenance and repair, on the technology development or on financing aspects. But it is also important to have a look at the whole energy system from the grid operators’ and dispatch centres’ point of view…[M]easures to control the frequency and the voltage have to change…[T]his means new methodologies to calculate balancing power, to set up a power station schedule for the next day, to forecast power more precisely, to cover peak load and to plan investments in power stations or to ensure a flexible combination of renewable and conventional power generation."

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"More renewables also affect the upgrade and the extent of distribution and transmission grids, the requirements for grid codes, grid connection studies and grid simulations...To enable experts of the solar belt around the Mediterranean to develop and implement solutions, the Renewables Academy AG (RENAC) was commissioned by the German Federal Environment Ministry to provide a Capacity Building Program on Grid Integration of Large Amounts of Renewable Energy in the Electricity Grids (ReGrid)…

"…[I]t offers seminars for professionals in ministries, grid operators, energy service companies, financing institutions, law firms and NGOs in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia…Teaching new tricks to experienced and highly qualified engineers and managers is a key focus of ReGrid…ReGrid seminars are planned for 2012 and 2013 in Berlin…"