Briefing on using renewables to integrate renewables Clyde Loutan, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Briefing on using renewables to integrate renewables

Clyde Loutan, Sr. Advisor, Renewable Energy Integration Board of Governors Meeting General Session December 14-15, 2016

Can variable energy resources provide essential reliability services to reliably operate the grid?

• NERC identified three essential reliability services to reliably

integrate higher levels of renewable resources

– Frequency control – Voltage control – Ramping capability or flexible capacity

• Test results demonstrated the plant has the capability to

provide these essential reliability services

• Advancement in smart inverter technology allows VERs to

provide services similar to conventional resources

• VERs with the right operating characteristics are necessary to

decarbonize the grid

Page 2

The ISO, First Solar and NREL demonstrated how a 300 MW solar PV plant can provide essential reliability services

Page 3

Test Performance

Ramping

• Ramp its real-power output at a specified ramp-rate



• Provide regulation up/down service

Voltage

• Provide reactive power support in various modes
• Control a specified voltage schedule
• Operate at a constant power factor
• Produce a constant level of MVAR
• Provide controllable reactive support (droop setting)
• Capability to provide reactive support at night



Frequency

• Provide frequency response for low frequency and high

frequency events

• Control the speed of frequency response
• Provide fast frequency response to arrest frequency

decline



Demonstrated how a solar plant ramping capability can be controlled to a specified ramp rate

Page 4

Demonstrated that the solar plant was able to accurately follow the 4-second regulation signals

Page 5

Regulation accuracy of the solar plant demonstration exceeded accuracy of conventional resources

Page 6

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Steam Turbine Pump Turbine Hydro Combined Cycle Limited Energy Storage Gas Turbine Solar PV (Middle of the Day) Solar PV (Sunset) Solar PV (Sunrise)

Regulation Up Accuracy

Blue bars taken from the ISO’s informational submittal to FERC on the performance of resources providing regulation services between January 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016

Voltage Control: Test demonstrated the plant’s capability to control system voltage at night

Page 7

By changing the reactive output of the plant from +100 MVAR to -100 MVAR, the voltage at the POI changed from 242 kV to 227 kV (Green curve)

Solar plant frequency responsiveness was similar to

• r better than conventional resources

Page 8

Events Conventional Resource Performance Solar PV response to high frequency Compared to a combined cycle plant



Solar PV response to high frequency Compared to a hydro plant



Solar PV response to low frequency Compared to a hydro plant



Solar PV ability to arrest frequency decline within the inertia response timeframe (Fast frequency response) Compared to a hydro plant



Solar response similar to a combined cycle plant using 3% governor-like droop setting for high frequency event

Page 9

192 194 196 198 200 202 204 10:29:29 10:29:31 10:29:33 10:29:35 10:29:37 10:29:39 10:29:41 10:29:43 10:29:45 10:29:47 10:29:49 10:29:51 10:29:53 10:29:55 10:29:57 10:29:59 10:30:01 10:30:03 10:30:05 10:30:07 10:30:09 10:30:11 10:30:13 10:30:15 10:30:17 10:30:19 10:30:21 10:30:23 10:30:25 10:30:27 10:30:29 10:30:31 10:30:33 10:30:35 10:30:37 10:30:39 MW Actual Solar Response Expected Response (Combined Cycle Plant)

Solar response similar to a hydro plant using 5% governor-like droop setting for high frequency event

Page 10

Ability of solar plant to respond and arrest frequency decline similar to a hydro plant for a low frequency event

Page 11

Next steps

• Continue to share test results:

– NERC’s Essential Reliability Services Task Force – NREL & GE Technical Review Committee for the West Wide study

• n frequency response

– FERC staff

• Evaluate the existing solar fleet to determine the

amount of capacity able to provide essential reliability services

• Further explore additional opportunities for renewable

resources to participate in the various markets for energy and ancillary services

• Issue final report in 4th quarter of 2016

Page 12