Abstract
It is imperative to increase the connectable capacity (i.e., hosting capacity) of distributed generation in order to decarbonise electricity distribution networks. Hybrid generation that exploits complementarity in resource characteristics among different renewable types potentially provides value for minimising technical constraints and increasing the effective use of the network. Tidal, wave and wind energy are prominent offshore renewable energy sources. It is of importance to explore their potential complementarity for increasing network integration. In this work, the novel introduction of these distinct offshore renewable resources into hosting capacity evaluation enables the quantification of the benefits of various resource combinations. A scenario reduction technique is adapted to effectively consider variation of these renewables in an AC optimal power flow-based nonlinear optimisation model. Moreover, the beneficial impact of active network management (ANM) on enhancing the renewable complementarity is also investigated. The combination of complementary hybrid generation and ANM, specifically where the maxima of the generation profiles rarely co-occur with each other and with the demand minimum, is found to make the best use of the network components.
Highlights
The rapid deployment of renewable generation in the last two decades has seen the introduction of new power sources on the distribution network
This paper further develops it to address the ‘coincidence’ of three different resources and demand, essentially a four dimensional array
Each resource case is examined subject to six different network control schemes: passive network (i.e., No active network management (ANM)) or actively managed network with either active curtailment control (ACC), coordinated voltage control (CVC) and power factor control (PFC) applied individually or with ACC combined with CVC or Power factor control (PFC)
Summary
The rapid deployment of renewable generation in the last two decades has seen the introduction of new power sources on the distribution network. Power flowed strictly from supply to demand but distributed generators (DGs) have transformed the structure of distribution networks. The installed capacity of DG on UK networks reached 26 GW in 2019, 24% of installed renewable capacity, and is projected to increase to 36% by 2050 [1]. Bidirectional power flow, voltage rise and increased fault level have been identified as key issues that DG poses to network operation [3]. As the share of DG increases, the pressure on network capacity due to voltage rise and reverse power flow will rise. The research on how to locate and size renewable DGs to maximise their overall connectable capacity is often referred to as ‘hosting capacity’ in the literature [4,5]
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