As the amount of traditional inertia on our grid systems decreases with the shift to inverter-based resources like wind and solar photovoltaics (PV), system operators are increasingly seeking carbon-free alternatives for stabilising frequency
New rapid response technologies mean less inertia is required
STABILISING FORCE Rotating masses in power plants provide grids with inertia to cushion sudden changes in frequency
ALL ABOUT SPEED The more quickly you are able to react to changes in frequency, the less inertia is needed
KEY QUOTE Today we can run smaller systems fully based on power electronics so they can simulate the behaviour of synchronous generators and respond just as quickly
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No matter how much wind and solar power is generated, the energy transition cannot be achieved without a built-for-purpose electricity infrastructure. Gaps in the interconnections of Europe’s grid network and lack of capacity on the wires where it is needed most will halt green electrification of energy.
In green and flexible power systems, services like rapid cures for hiccups in grid frequency can be valuable
Around 50% of the shift from fossil fuels to renewable forms of energy has been a digitised transition to 2020, says Energinet, Denmark's power system operator. As the world digitises further, the already vast volumes of data will only increase in mass. Advances in Artificial Intelligence technology and machine learning tools provide ways of processing this tsunami of data into a new world order
A start-up based in Scotland is confident it has found an affordable silver bullet to allow the world’s grids to deal with massive amounts of renewables, but system operators are not so sure
CASE STUDY: A new market service rolled out by the UK's electricity network operator in autumn 2020 invites fast-response injections of power or withdrawals of load from generators, electricity storage owners and consumers to help it contain frequency deviations that would otherwise destabilise the power system
Schleswig-Holstein, Germany is testing how a 100% renewable power system can be achieved with internal low voltage distribution networks, flexible consumption and generation from local production points
On Watt Matters this week, Monica Morawiecka from the Regulatory Assistance Project and Julian Popov, a fellow of the European Climate Foundation, discuss what is required to make eastern Europe's energy transition a reality