Abstract
Wave energy is of interest for regions with high wave power potential, as well as for regions with modest wave power potential such as the Adriatic/Mediterranean coastlines and islands. In the present paper, the possibility of integrating a wave power farm with the power system of an island in the Adriatic Sea, combining the wave power with a battery energy storage system (BESS) and solar photovoltaics (PVs) is explored and its impact on the local weak low voltage grid is investigated. The load profile is typical of the demand (consumption) of an Adriatic island, in which the demand substantially increases during summer (the tourist season). The wave power technology is a point-absorbing wave energy converter (WEC) with a direct drive linear permanent-magnet synchronous generator power take-off device. Wave power farms (WPFs) consist of two to ten WECs. In this study, we show that the integration of a WPF consisting of two WECs into the grid is optimal and helps to reach zero grid exchange, and a BESS reduces the intermittency of the power flow into the grid. Since a potential wave power farm is to be installed in a populated recreational area, the technical study is complemented by discussion on cross-cutting aspects such as its environmental and social impact.
Highlights
To tackle the problem of global warming, low carbon energy policies have stimulated the widespread installation of commercial solar photovoltaics (PVs) and wind power parks globally and in Europe [1,2]
The highest voltage occurred on bus 881, the point of common coupling (PCC) bus of Wave power farms (WPFs) and Low Voltage Test Feeder (LVTF) for the case of 10 wave energy converter (WEC) in a WPF due to the largest active power injection, as expected
The following situation was presented—two integrated WECs in a WPF installed on location L4 with the winter-period generation profile (Figure 12), winter-period consumption profile (Figure 10) of LVTF, 12 integrated PV systems from case study 2, with the winter-period consumption profile and with/without battery energy storage system (BESS)
Summary
To tackle the problem of global warming, low carbon energy policies have stimulated the widespread installation of commercial solar photovoltaics (PVs) and wind power parks globally and in Europe [1,2]. The integration of renewable energy sources (RES) to the grid imposes another challenge—grid stability. Ocean and wave energy is considered to be a promising and attractive energy source due to its relatively small short-term fluctuations [4] and high power density [5], yet it still remains untapped. Wave energy is attractive since the wave power potential in some regions follows the seasonality of electrical energy demand [6,7]. The estimated wave energy potential has gone from 17 TWh/year in 2007 [8] to 92 PWh/year in 2016 [9], available at coastal areas, where about 50 percent of the world’s population lives.
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