Capabilities
NREL's Wind Systems Integration (SI) staff collaborates with electric utility stakeholders to ensure wind energy issues are considered in the best use of existing and future expansion of the nation's energy delivery infrastructure. Staff provides data, analysis, and techniques that address power systems integration issues in support of increasing the penetration of wind energy throughout the country. Specifically, the SI researchers at NREL are engaged in project areas as described below.
- Operational Impacts and Integration Studies
- Grid Operational Impact Analysis
- Regional Integration Studies
- Wind/Hydropower Studies
- Wind Plant Modeling and Interconnection
- Wind Generator Modeling
- Wind Plant Data Monitoring
- Interconnection Standards
- Transmission Planning and Analysis
- Transmission and Renewable Energy Zone Planning
- Increasing Use of Existing Grid
- Wind Resource Assessment and Forecasting
- Resource Characterization
- Wind Forecasting
The goal of the Systems Integration activity is: "By 2012, complete program activities addressing electric power market rules, interconnection impacts, operating strategies, and system planning needed for wind energy to compete without disadvantage to serve the Nation's energy needs."
A Fair Playing Field for Wind Energy
As the need to stabilize the nation's energy resources and electricity demands increase, more utilities are seriously evaluating wind power to provide a portion of their generation mix. At the same time, many utilities are expressing concerns about possible impacts on system operations when greater percentages of wind power are introduced into the electric power system. Their concerns, if not adequately addressed, could limit the development potential of wind power in this country.
Wind energy researchers are assisting industry partners with a number of projects aimed at increasing utility understanding of integration issues and confidence in the reliability of new wind turbine products. Information and tools gained from the projects will be distributed through a national outreach effort to investor-owned utilities, electric cooperatives, public power organizations, and energy regulators to encourage the inclusion of wind power in generation portfolios and ensure the continued growth of the wind energy industry.
The Systems Integration strategy is to assist regional electric system planning and operations personnel to make informed decisions about the integration of wind energy into their systems.
