Going with the wind: temporal characteristics of potential wind curtailment in Ireland in 2020 and opportunities for demand response

Eoghan Mckenna,Philipp Grünewald,Murray Thomson

doi:10.1049/iet-rpg.2013.0320

Abstract

The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have ambitious targets for 40% of electricity to be supplied by renewables by 2020, with the majority expected to be supplied by wind power. There is, however, already a significant amount of wind power being turned down, or ‘curtailed’, and this is expected to grow as wind penetrations increase. A model-based approach is taken to estimate curtailment using high-resolution wind speed and demand data covering four years, with a particular focus on the temporal characteristics of curtailment and factors that affect it. The model is validated using actual wind output and curtailment data from 2011. The results for 2020 are consistent with previously published estimates, and indicate curtailment levels ranging from 5.6 to 8.5% depending on assumptions examined in this study. Curtailment is found to occur predominantly at night, and to exhibit stochastic variability related to wind output. To accommodate high penetrations of wind power, the findings highlight the value of flexible demand over relatively long time-periods. The model's output data have been made publicly available for free for further investigation.

Highlights

IntroductionWith anticipated large penetrations of wind power, there is increasing concern about periods when there is too much wind power and not enough demand on the system
1.1 Integrating high penetrations of wind powerWith anticipated large penetrations of wind power, there is increasing concern about periods when there is too much wind power and not enough demand on the system
The 5061 MW 75% synchronous penetration (SNSP) scenario shows that increasing the SNSP has more of an impact in terms of reducing curtailment during the day and less of an impact during the night and early morning

Summary

Introduction

With anticipated large penetrations of wind power, there is increasing concern about periods when there is too much wind power and not enough demand on the system. Methods to reduce dispatch down have been investigated as part of past studies concerned with integrating high penetrations of renewable energy onto the grid. Delucchi and Jacobson [1], in their evaluation of the feasibility of providing all energy for all purposes globally, suggest methods for dealing with high penetrations of intermittent renewables, including wind: creating diversity by geographically dispersing generators; using large-scale energy storage, either centralised, for example, hydro-electric facilities, or distributed, such as fleets of electric vehicles; hydrogen production during periods of excess generation; and demand response in the form of flexible heating and cooling demands

Results

Discussion

Conclusion