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Including operational aspects in the planning of power systems with large amounts of variable generation: A review of modeling approaches

Journal Article · · Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Energy and Environment
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/wene.341· OSTI ID:1498566
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Smart Energy and Transport Solutions VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Espoo Finland
  2. Power Systems Engineering Center National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden Colorado, Energy and Resources Group University of California Berkeley California
  3. Power Systems Engineering Center National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden Colorado, Department of Electrical Computer and Energy Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado

In the past, power system planning was based on meeting the load duration curve at minimum cost. The increasing share of variable generation (VG) makes operational constraints more important in the planning problem, and there is more and more interest in considering aspects such as sufficient ramping capability, sufficient reserve procurement, power system stability, storage behavior, and the integration of other energy sectors often through demand response assets. In VG integration studies, several methods have been applied to combine the planning and operational timescales. We present a four‐level categorization for the modeling methods, in order of increasing complexity: (1a) investment model only, (1b) operational model only, (2) unidirectionally soft‐linked investment and operational models, (3a) bidirectionally soft‐linked investment and operational models, (3b) operational model with an investment update algorithm, and (4) co‐optimization of investments and operation. The review shows that using a low temporal resolution or only few representative days will not suffice in order to determine the optimal generation portfolio. In addition, considering operational effects proves to be important in order to get a more optimal generation portfolio and more realistic estimations of system costs. However, operational details appear to be less significant than the temporal representation. Furthermore, the benefits and impacts of more advanced modeling techniques on the resulting generation capacity mix significantly depend on the system properties. Thus, the choice of the model should depend on the purpose of the study as well as on system characteristics.

This article is categorized under:

Wind Power > Systems and Infrastructure

Energy Systems Analysis > Economics and Policy

Energy Policy and Planning > Economics and Policy

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1498566
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1503813
Journal Information:
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Energy and Environment, Journal Name: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Energy and Environment Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 8; ISSN 2041-8396
Publisher:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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