Harnessing Variable Renewables

Power systems must be actively managed to maintain a steady balance between supply and demand. This is already a complex task as demand varies continually. But what happens when supply becomes more variable and less certain, as with some renewable sources of electricity like wind and solar PV that fluctuate with the weather? to what extent can the resources that help power systems cope with the challenge of variability in demand also be applied to variability of supply? How large are these resources? and what share of electricity supply from variable renewables can they make possible? There is no one-size-fits-all answer. the ways electricity is produced, transported and consumed around the world exhibit great diversity. Grids can cross borders, requiring co-ordinated international policy, or can be distinct within a single country or region. and whether found in dispatchable power plants, storage facilities, interconnections for trade or on the demand side, the flexible resource that ensures the provision of reliable power in the face of uncertainty likewise differs enormously. Written for decision makers, Harnessing Variable Renewables: a Guide to the Balancing Challenge sheds light on managing power systems with large shares of variable renewables. It presents a new, step-by-step approach developed by the IEA to assess the flexibility of power systems, which identifies the already present resources that could help meet the twin challenges of variability and uncertainty.

Reflecting its reliance on fossil fuels, the electric power industry produces the majority of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. The need for a revolution in the industry becomes further apparent given that 'decarbonization' means an increasing electrification of other sectors of the economy'in particular, through a switch from gasoline to electric vehicles. Of the options for producing electric power without significant greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy is most attractive to policymakers, as it promises increased national self-reliance on energy supplies and the creation of new industries and jobs, without the safety and political concerns of nuclear power or the unproven technology of carbon capture and storage. Drawing on both economic theory and the experiences of the United States and EU member states, Harnessing Renewable Energy addresses the key questions surrounding renewable energy policies. How appropriate is the focus on renewable power as a primary tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions? If renewable energy is given specific support, what form should that support take? What are the implications for power markets if renewable generation is widely adopted? Thorough and well-evidenced, this book will be of interest to a broad range of policymakers, the electric power industry, and economists who study energy and environmental issues.

The integration of renewable energy resources into the electricity grid presents an important challenge. This book provides a review and analysis of the technical and policy options available for managing variable energy resources such as wind and solar power. As well as being of value to government and industry policy-makers and planners, the volume also provides a single source for scientists and engineers of the technical knowledge gained during the 4-year RenewElec (renewable electricity) project at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Vermont, Vermont Law School, and the Van Ness Feldman environmental law firm. The first part of the book discusses the options for large scale integration of variable electric power generation, including issues of predictability, variability, and efficiency. The second part presents the scientific findings of the project. In the final part, the authors undertake a critical review of major quantitative regional and national wind integration studies in the United States. Based on comparisons among these studies, they suggest areas where improvements in methods are warranted in future studies, areas where additional research is needed to facilitate future improvements in wind integration studies and how the research can be put into practice.

Many countries, reflecting very different geographies, markets, and power systems, are successfully managing high levels of variable renewable energy on the electric grid, including that from wind and solar energy. This book documents the diverse approaches to effective integration of variable renewable energy among six countries: Australia (South Australia), Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Spain, and the United States (Colorado and Texas), and summarises policy best practices that energy ministers and other stakeholders can pursue to ensure that electricity markets and power systems can effectively co-evolve with increasing penetrations of variable renewable energy. There is no one-size fits all approach; each country has crafted its own combination of policies, market designs, and system operations to achieve the system reliability and flexibility needed to successfully integrate renewables. Notwithstanding this diversity, the approaches all coalesce around five strategic areas: lead public engagement, particularly for new transmission; co-ordinate and integrate planning; develop rules for market evolution that enable system flexibility; expand access to diverse resources and geographic footprint of operations; and improve system operations. This book also underscores the value of countries sharing their experiences. The more diverse and robust the experience base from which a country can draw, the more likely that it will be able to implement an appropriate, optimised, and system-wide approach.

The paper Challenges and Approaches to Electricity Grids Operations and Planning with Increased Amounts of Variable Renewable Generation: Emerging Lessons from Selected Operational Experiences and Desktop Studies focuses on analyzing the impacts of variable renewable energy on the operation and planning

Renewable Energy Integration is a ground-breaking new resource - the first to offer a distilled examination of the intricacies of integrating renewables into the power grid and electricity markets. It offers informed perspectives from internationally renowned experts on the challenges to be met and solutions based on demonstrated best practices developed by operators around the world. The book's focus on practical implementation of strategies provides real-world context for theoretical underpinnings and the development of supporting policy frameworks. The book considers a myriad of wind, solar, wave and tidal integration issues, thus ensuring that grid operators with low or high penetration of renewable generation can leverage the victories achieved by their peers. Renewable Energy Integration highlights, carefully explains, and illustrates the benefits of advanced technologies and systems for coping with variability, uncertainty, and flexibility. Lays out the key issues around the integration of renewables into power grids and markets, from the intricacies of operational and planning considerations, to supporting regulatory and policy frameworks Provides global case studies that highlight the challenges of renewables integration and present field-tested solutions Illustrates enabling and disruptive technologies to support the management of variability, uncertainty and flexibility

The global energy system faces urgent challenges. Concerns about energy security are growing, as highlighted by the recent political turmoil in Northern Africa and the nuclear incident in Fukushima. At the same time, the need to respond to climate change is more critical than ever. Against this background, many governments have increased efforts to promote deployment of renewable energy - low-carbon sources that can strengthen energy security. This has stimulated unprecedented rise in deployment, and renewables are now the fastest growing sector of the energy mix. This "coming of age" of renewable energy also brings challenges. Growth is focused on a few of the available technologies, and rapid deployment is confined to a relatively small number of countries. In more advanced markets, managing support costs and system integration of large shares of renewable energy in a time of economic weakness and budget austerity has sparked vigorous political debate.