Connecting renewable power sources into the system
The many technical, legal, and economic issues that must be overcome before windmills, fuel cells, and photovoltaics can serve existing grids ae discusssed. Distributed storage and generation sources (DSGs) consist of energy converters to transform sun, wind, or chemical energy into electricity; a power conditioner to convert dc to ac; relays, breakers, and fuses for equipment protection and personnel safety; and appropriate load-metering equipment for billing customers. Aside from windmills and windfarms, there are few utility owned DSGs. The Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act (1978) requires utilities to permit the connection to their power grids of private DSGs with capacities of up to 80 MW. In addition, the utilities must purchase the power from the DSG owned at ''just and reasonable rates'' and offer to supply backup power if the owner's facility malfunctions. Before connecting to a utility line, a DSG entrepreneur must meet certain specifications spelled out by the participating utility. Long-range power-distribution strategies will be needed to assess various automated distribution schemes that have been proposed, together with communication techniques to control and coordinate the small and large DSG within a highly complex power grid.
- Research Organization:
- IEEE Spectrum
- OSTI ID:
- 5865445
- Journal Information:
- IEEE Spectrum; (United States), Vol. 19:11
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
POLICY AND ECONOMY
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
ECONOMICS
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
LEGAL ASPECTS
FUEL CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANTS
POWER SYSTEMS
WIND POWER PLANTS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
POWER PLANTS
PUBLIC UTILITIES
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
299000* - Energy Planning & Policy- Unconventional Sources & Power Generation