Grid Integration of

Renewable Energy Systems

By:
Mr. Jarapala Ramesh Babu
Assistant Professor
EEEdept.
Methodist College of Engineering and Technology-
Hyderabad
 Course Outcomes
CO1. Identify the characteristics of renewable energy sources and
converters.
CO2. Understand the operation of power system
CO3. Analyze the importance of power electronic systems in renewable
power applications.
CO4. Realize the management systems for grid integration.
CO5. Analyze the challenges faced by the grid by integrating renewable
energy sources.
UNIT-I Review of characteristics of power sources:
Basic review of power generation from wind - Solar PV - Thermal - Small hydro - Biomass power strategies in each of these
energy conversion systems - Review of maximum power point tracking techniques in solar PV and wind (perturb & observe,
hill climbs, incremental conductance).
UNIT-II Power system operation:
Introduction on electric grid, supply guarantees, power quality and stability, introduction to renewable energy grid
integration, concept of mini/micro grids and smart grids; wind, solar, biomass power generation profiles, generation electric
features, Load scheduling.
UNIT-III Introduction to basic analysis and operation techniques on power electronic systems:
functional analysis of power converters, power conversion schemes between electric machines and the grid, power systems
control using power converters; electronic conversion systems application to renewable energy generation systems, basic
schemes and functional advantages; wind power and photovoltaic power applications.
UNIT-IV Power control and management systems for grid integration:
island detection systems, synchronizing with the grid; Issues in integration of converter-based sources; Network voltage
management; power quality management and frequency management; Influence of PV/WECS on system transient response.
UNIT-V Issues in grid integration of renewable energy sources:
Overview of challenges in integrating renewable sources to the grid - Impact of harmonics on power quality – need to
maintain voltage within a band and fluctuations in voltage because of renewable integration - power inverter and converter
technologies - mechanism to synchronize power from renewable sources to the grid - overview of challenges faced in
designing power injection from of renewable power in a power system.
 UNIT-I
Review of characteristics of power sources:

The grid integration of renewable energy systems is essential for

transitioning to a sustainable energy infrastructure. This process involves
incorporating renewable sources like solar, wind, and hydro power into
existing electricity grids.
While challenges such as intermittency and grid stability exist,
technological solutions like smart grids and energy storage systems offer
opportunities for smoother integration.
Policy frameworks play a crucial role in promoting grid integration through
incentives, market reforms, and interconnection standards. The benefits of
grid integration include reduced carbon emissions, enhanced energy
security, and economic opportunities.
Continued collaboration and advancements in technology are essential for
maximizing the potential of renewable energy integration into the grid.
Review of characteristics of power
sources:
Fossil Fuels (Coal, Oil, Natural Gas):
Availability: Widely available but finite resources, with varying
reserves globally.
Reliability: Generally high reliability with consistent power output,
but vulnerable to supply disruptions and price fluctuations.
Environmental Impact: High greenhouse gas emissions and pollution,
contributing to climate change and health issues.
Infrastructure: Well-established infrastructure for extraction,
transportation, and power generation.
 Renewable Energy (Solar, Wind, Hydro, Biomass):
Availability: Abundant and renewable resources, with varying availability
depending on location and weather patterns.
Reliability: Variable output due to intermittency and dependence on
weather conditions, requiring integration with storage and backup systems
for grid stability.
Environmental Impact: Low to zero greenhouse gas emissions during
operation, minimal air and water pollution, but some environmental
impacts during construction and land use.
Infrastructure: Developing infrastructure with rapid advancements in
technology, often decentralized and modular.
 Nuclear Power:
 Availability: Uranium, the primary fuel for nuclear power, is relatively abundant but finite.
Advanced reactor designs may use alternative fuels.
 Reliability: High reliability with consistent power output, but vulnerable to safety concerns,
regulatory issues, and public perception.
 Environmental Impact: Low greenhouse gas emissions during operation, but concerns about
nuclear accidents, radioactive waste disposal, and potential proliferation risks.
 Infrastructure: Requires complex and expensive infrastructure for construction, operation, and
decommissioning, with long lead times for development.
Geothermal Energy:
 Availability: Limited to regions with accessible geothermal resources, such as geologically active
areas with volcanic activity or hot springs.
 Reliability: Relatively high reliability with consistent power output, but site-specific and limited to
areas with suitable geothermal conditions.
 Environmental Impact: Low greenhouse gas emissions and minimal environmental impact
compared to fossil fuels, but potential for induced seismicity and land subsidence.
 Infrastructure: Requires specialized infrastructure for drilling, heat extraction, and power
generation, with relatively high upfront costs.
 Wind Power Generation:
Strategy: Wind power generation involves capturing the kinetic energy of
wind using wind turbines and converting it into electricity.
Wind Turbine Technology: Advancements in turbine design, such as larger
rotor diameters and taller towers, improve energy capture efficiency and
enable deployment in a wider range of locations.
Site Selection: Identifying locations with consistent and strong wind
resources is crucial for maximizing power generation.
Grid Integration: Integration with the grid requires balancing variable wind
power output with demand through grid management strategies, energy
storage, and backup power sources.
 Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Generation:
Strategy: Solar PV power generation utilizes photovoltaic panels to
convert sunlight directly into electricity.
Panel Efficiency: Improving solar panel efficiency through
advancements in materials, manufacturing processes, and panel
design increases energy output per unit area.
Solar Irradiance: Site selection based on solar irradiance levels
ensures optimal energy generation, considering factors like sun
exposure, shading, and weather patterns.
Grid Integration: Integration with the grid involves managing variable
solar output through grid-tied inverters, energy storage systems, and
demand-side management techniques.
 Thermal Power Generation:
Strategy: Thermal power generation involves converting heat energy into
electricity through various methods, including coal, natural gas, nuclear, and
concentrated solar power (CSP).
Efficiency Improvements: Enhancing the efficiency of thermal power plants
through advanced combustion technologies, combined-cycle systems, and
heat recovery systems maximizes energy output and reduces fuel
consumption.
Emissions Reduction: Implementing emissions control technologies like
scrubbers, catalytic converters, and carbon capture and storage (CCS)
mitigates environmental impacts.
Renewable Integration: In the case of CSP, integrating thermal energy
storage systems enables dispatchable power generation, enhancing grid
stability and reliability.
 Small Hydro Power Generation:
Strategy: Small hydro power generation harnesses the kinetic energy of
flowing water in rivers or streams to generate electricity using turbines.
Site Selection: Identifying suitable sites with consistent water flow and
sufficient head (height difference) ensures optimal power generation.
Environmental Considerations: Implementing measures to minimize
ecological impacts, such as fish-friendly turbine designs and habitat
restoration, is essential.
Community Engagement: Involving local communities in project planning and
development fosters acceptance and support for small hydro projects,
addressing socio-economic concerns.
 Biomass Power Generation:
Strategy: Biomass power generation utilizes organic materials such as
wood, agricultural residues, and organic waste to produce electricity
through combustion, gasification, or anaerobic digestion.
Feedstock Selection: Selecting appropriate biomass feedstocks based on
availability, sustainability, and energy content optimizes power generation
efficiency.
Emissions Control: Implementing technologies like particulate filters,
scrubbers, and emission monitoring systems reduces air pollutants and
greenhouse gas emissions.
Resource Management: Ensuring sustainable sourcing and efficient
utilization of biomass resources through practices like agroforestry, crop
rotation, and waste management minimizes environmental impacts and
enhances long-term viability.
Review of maximum power point tracking techniques in
solar PV and wind (perturb & observe, hill climbs,
incremental conductance).
• Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) is a crucial technique used in
photovoltaic (PV) systems to maximize the power output from solar panels by
continuously adjusting the operating point to the maximum power point (MPP)
under varying environmental conditions such as sunlight intensity, temperature,
and shading. Here's an overview of MPPT in PV systems:
• Importance of MPPT:
• Solar panels have a non-linear voltage-current characteristic, and their output power
varies with changing environmental conditions. Without MPPT, the PV system may operate
at a suboptimal point, resulting in reduced energy harvest and efficiency losses.
• Operating Principle:
• MPPT algorithms continuously monitor the voltage and current of the PV array and adjust
the operating point to track the MPP. The MPP is typically found at the point where the
product of voltage and current (P = V x I) is maximized.
• Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) in wind energy systems is a critical
technique used to optimize power extraction from wind turbines by continuously
adjusting the turbine's operating conditions to track the maximum power point
(MPP) under varying wind speeds and conditions. Here's an overview of MPPT in
wind energy systems:
Importance of MPPT:
• Wind turbines have a characteristic power curve where the output power varies with wind
speed. Without MPPT, the turbine may operate at suboptimal points, resulting in reduced
energy capture and efficiency losses.
Operating Principle:
• MPPT algorithms monitor the wind speed and adjust the turbine's rotor speed (or blade pitch
angle) to maintain operation at the MPP. The MPP is typically located at the point on the
power curve where the wind turbine extracts the maximum available power from the wind.
 • Perturb and Observe (P&O):
Operation: P&O is a simple and widely used MPPT technique that operates
by perturbing (changing) the operating point of the PV array or wind
turbine and observing the resulting change in power output. It compares
the power output before and after the perturbation to determine the
direction in which the operating point should be adjusted.
Advantages: P&O is easy to implement, computationally lightweight, and
effective under steady-state conditions.
Limitations: It may suffer from oscillations around the MPP under rapidly
changing environmental conditions, leading to reduced efficiency and
increased wear on power electronics due to frequent adjustments.
The Perturb and Observe (P&O) algorithm for Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) in solar
photovoltaic (PV) systems is based on continuously perturbing the operating voltage of the PV array and
observing the resulting change in power output. Below is an algorithmic description of the P&O
algorithm for solar PV systems:
1.Initialization:
1. Begin with an initial operating voltage Vinit for the PV array.
2.Perturbation:
1. Slightly increase or decrease the operating voltage from its current value. The perturbation size
ΔV can be predefined or dynamically adjusted based on system characteristics.
3.Power Measurement:
1. Measure the power output Pnew​at the new operating voltage Vnew​=Vinit​±ΔV.
4.Comparison:
1. Compare the power output Pnew​with the power output at the previous operating point Pprev​.
5.Adjustment:
1. If Pnew​>Pprev​, continue perturbing in the same direction (increase or decrease voltage). If
Pnew​<Pprev​, reverse the direction of perturbation.
6.Iteration:
1. Repeat steps 2-5 iteratively, continuously adjusting the operating voltage based on the
direction of power change.
7.MPP Tracking:
1. Track the operating voltage VMPP​where the power output reaches its maximum value. This
operating voltage corresponds to the Maximum Power Point (MPP) of the PV array.
8.Operation:
1. Once the MPP is identified, operate the PV array at the optimal operating voltage VMPP​to
maximize power extraction.
• The Perturb and Observe (P&O) algorithm for Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) in wind turbine systems
involves adjusting the turbine's rotor speed or blade pitch angle and observing the resulting change in power
output. Here's an algorithmic description of the P&O algorithm for wind turbines:
• Initialization:
• Begin with an initial operating point for the wind turbine, such as a baseline rotor speed or blade pitch angle.
• Perturbation:
• Slightly increase or decrease the operating parameter (rotor speed or blade pitch angle) from its current value. The
perturbation size can be predefined or dynamically adjusted based on system characteristics.
• Power Measurement:
• Measure the power output at the new operating point.
• Comparison:
• Compare the power output at the new operating point with the power output at the previous operating point.
• Adjustment:
• If the power output has increased, continue perturbing in the same direction (increase or decrease rotor speed or adjust blade
pitch angle). If the power output has decreased, reverse the direction of perturbation.
• Iteration:
• Repeat steps 2-5 iteratively, continuously adjusting the operating parameter based on the direction of power change.
• MPP Tracking:
• Track the operating parameter where the power output reaches its maximum value. This operating parameter corresponds to
the Maximum Power Point (MPP) of the wind turbine.
• Operation:
• Once the MPP is identified, operate the wind turbine at the optimal operating parameter to maximize power extraction.
 Hill Climbing (HC):
Operation: Hill climbing is an iterative optimization technique that
incrementally adjusts the operating point of the PV array or wind turbine in the
direction of increasing power output. It continuously evaluates the power
output at neighboring operating points and moves in the direction that leads to
higher power until the MPP is reached.
Advantages: HC is relatively robust and efficient in tracking the MPP under
varying environmental conditions, including partial shading or turbulent wind
conditions.
Limitations: It may suffer from slow response times and suboptimal
performance in rapidly changing conditions due to its reliance on local gradient
information.
 Incremental Conductance (INC):
Operation: INC is a more sophisticated MPPT technique that utilizes the
instantaneous change in PV array voltage and current (or wind turbine speed
and torque) to determine the direction of adjustment towards the MPP. It
compares the incremental conductance (dP/dV or dP/dω) with the negative of
the conductance (G = dI/dV or dT/dω) to adjust the operating point.
Advantages: INC offers faster response times and improved efficiency compared
to P&O and HC, particularly under rapidly changing environmental conditions or
partial shading.
Limitations: It requires more computational resources and may be sensitive to
parameter tuning, making implementation more complex compared to simpler
techniques.