A5b: Integration of a Wind Farm in a Hydro-Dominated Power System: Challenges and Solutions

The integration of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power is becoming increasingly important in today’s world, as countries seek to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate the effects of climate change.

In this work, we focus on the integration of wind energy farms in a hydro-dominated power system, and analyze the challenges and solutions associated with this integration.

Specifically, we examine the impact of increasing capacity of wind penetration on the stability of the power system and investigate hydropower’s flexibility to mitigate these issues. An existing dynamic model of the regional Idaho Falls power system is leveraged in this work. The model is adapted to include wind power generation from an electrically co-located wind farm.

We will share a series of case studies that consider wind farm capacity variation, hydrological conditions, and electrical load profiles to evaluate voltage and frequency regulation concerns. The output of hydropower resources is adjusted to compensate for wind power fluctuations, and we will show that this approach can help in seamless integration resulting in enhanced system stability.

The study will also assess the role of hydropower in mitigating the issues of voltage and frequency fluctuations by providing fast and flexible ramping.

Our work highlights the need for careful planning and coordination between wind and hydropower resources to ensure a reliable and stable power system. Our findings can help guide the design and operation of integrated wind and hydropower systems and contribute to the development of more sustainable and reliable power systems.