Renewable Energy

VPPs with smart inverters offer crucial flexibility to the changing grid

July 11, 2019 By gk104 Leave a Comment

Energy generation and consumption is rapidly transforming into a decentralized, decarbonized, and digitized model due to a number of market forces. The declining costs of solar energy systems, as well as the increasing price of energy from the grid has led to grid parity. This has caused PV proliferation to accelerate to such an extent that in the past five years alone, PV installed capacity has increased by 300%. Simultaneously, the EV market is also on the rise and is expected to reach the electrification tipping point by 2030. This is due to support from governments trying to limit the effects of climate change, thus leading to automotive manufactures transitioning their fleets from standard petrol- and diesel-powered cars to EVs. As a result of the acceleration of both of these markets, EV charging has created demand patterns causing an even steeper and faster ramp-up in the evenings than the PV duck curve. , This is causing the grid’s balancing act to be increasingly complex. In order to support this new energy dynamic, advanced management software is required to ensure grid stabilization and to unlock the value of these energy resources.

Demand flexibility is a crucial element for a smart grid to leverage in order to maintain stability. Fortunately, the potential for behind-the-meter flexibility in the residential sector is particularly promising. A report by Wood Mackenzie found that there is currently ~47 GW of demand-side flexibility in the U.S residential sector alone, and it is forecasted to reach ~88 GW by 2023. This growth in demand flexibility could be in part due to PV incentive structures evolving towards self-consumption as it incentivizes system owners to consume more of the energy they produce. This is leading to consumers installing EV chargers, solar batteries, and other smart energy devices to better leverage the production of their PV systems. However, in order for these distributed energy resources to truly offer any value in terms of self-consumption and grid stability, they need to be smartly managed both locally and at the macro level.

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Key to managing these new flexible energy resources is the smart inverter, which acts as an energy manager for PV, storage, EV charging, and other smart appliances, in addition to grid interaction. At the local energy system level, the inverter can be programmed to maximize self-consumption, such as storing excess solar energy in a battery for later use or shifting consumption to match PV production. While at the grid level, the inverter can manage these underlying demand-flexible resources to support grid stability, such as discharging batteries into the grid to meet demand or pausing EV charging to decrease demand. Due to the inverter’s location as an interface between the local energy system and the grid, it also plays a strategic role in the deployment of virtual power plants (VPPs). VPPs pool PVs, batteries, and EV chargers in the cloud to instantly and automatically modify generation or consumption in order to stabilize grid frequency and voltage and more efficiently meet demand. Within the framework of VPPs, the inverter is responsible for disaggregating commands to underlying distributed energy resources (DERs). VPPs support three scenarios: meeting supply shortages, hedging pricing volatility, and maintaining grid stability. An example of a VPP meeting a supply shortage would be that in an area in which supply cannot meet demand, a utility is able to preschedule battery charging so that they can be discharged when needed, meaning substations do not surpass expected capacity.

One of the main reasons that VPPs are a promising new addition to the energy ecosystem is that they provide value to all stakeholders. System owners who participate in VPPs by allowing the utility access to their batteries or EV chargers, enjoy increased ROI for their systems either from upfront subsidies for hardware or from monthly rebate programs which grant the utility access to batteries and EV chargers. Energy suppliers also receive value with increased protection from price peaks, due to capped pricing that hedges against price volatility. This has the potential to save energy suppliers $30-80/kW per year. Lastly, Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) can defer building costly (~$10-20M) and often underutilized network infrastructure by leveraging pooled energy in VPPs to instantly overcome local supply shortages., By providing the flexibility to gradually increase storage capacity to meet a growing demand, VPPs eliminate the need for DNOs to purchase costly voltage regulator equipment, saving thousands of dollars per feeder.

Demonstrating their value and real-world capabilities, VPPs are already being deployed across the globe. For instance, SolarEdge has already worked with various utilities to deploy VPPs in different countries, such as the United States and Australia. In California, when a utility required load shedding for an ISO-triggered demand response event, SolarEdge provided VPP access to a fleet of residential storage systems. During this event, which lasted throughout three consecutive days, the VPP gave commands to all the connected storage systems in the area to charge batteries from the PV. Afterwards during a four-hour period each day, the batteries were discharged at a desired power and duration in order to provide power to the grid.

Another example of a VPP in action is when a Massachusetts’ utility required load shedding during three hours of peak demand. SolarEdge provided VPP access to a fleet of residential storage systems. During the load-shedding event, the batteries provided site-level energy supply with no grid export in order to match site load, meaning the homes were temporarily operating off-grid during this time. These applications show that as more PV systems and batteries are installed and help create a decentralized model of energy distribution, VPPs gain more access to more energy and thus their potential to support grid stability increases. However, the implementation of VPPs is only the first step for the smart grid. Combined with the power of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics, the technology behind VPPs will ultimately further evolve to make insight-driven decisions for optimizing energy allocation.

Virtual power plants and smart inverters are on the agenda for several educational sessions at DISTRIBUTECH 2020cvbbqaewbwzwrvrxfyaewxtxsybccdcfdtbev, set for San Antonio, Texas, January 28-30, 2020. See you there!

First published on 2019-07-11 13:09:30

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75 MW of community solar coming to Illinois in Ameren, ComEd territories

July 10, 2019 By gk104 Leave a Comment

Arlington, VA based Summit Ridge Energy (SRE) announced that it will acquire 11 projects from Pivot Energy in Illinois totaling 29 MWs, increasing SRE’s portfolio of community solar projects in the state to more than 20.

Pivot developed 29 MWs that won Adjustable Block awards, and will be contracted by SRE to handle customer acquisition and management for those projects.

“We have been fortunate to work with SRE on these projects, which are some of the first community solar arrays in the state,” said Pivot’s CEO, Rick Hunter. “Pivot is committed to our project communities and the Illinois market for the long run, and we’re glad to have a partner with the same mentality in SRE.”

Mark Raeder, SRE’s Principal in the Midwest, said the company plans to construct over 75 MWs of community solar in Illinois alone over the next 18 months. “We’re breaking ground on several projects in Ameren service territory this summer, with construction activities beginning in ComEd shortly thereafter. With favorable renewable energy legislation likely to pass in Springfield this fall, we’re continuing to acquire projects across the state, serving to further expand our presence and demonstrate our strong commitment to the Illinois market.”

“Both Summit Ridge and Pivot have been active in the Illinois market since well before the launch of the Adjustable Block Program,” said SRE CEO Steve Raeder. “Our funding vehicle, Summit Ridge Capital, coupled with Pivot’s customer aggregation platform, SunCentral, will enable thousands of customers to realize the financial benefits of community solar across Illinois.”

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The recent expansion of community solar programs across 20 states to date has become the catalyst to America’s commercial solar industry, presenting tremendous opportunity for customers who want the cost and environmental benefits of solar without installing panels on their roof. Community solar provides reduced electricity costs for consumers, regardless of their socioeconomic status or geographic location, protects the environment, and reduces our dependence on fossil fuels.

First published on 2019-07-10 14:23:23

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Driven by China, global investment in clean energy falls

July 10, 2019 By gk104 Leave a Comment

Gerald Porter Jr., Bloomberg

Worldwide investments in clean energy projects have hit a six-year low.

Global spending totaled $117.6 billion in the first half of 2019, down 14% from a year earlier and the least since 2013, according to a report by BloombergNEF. Investments slowed in all three major markets — the U.S., Europe and China — but China’s decline was especially pronounced as the country continued its shift away from subsidies for solar and wind power.

The slide in spending underscores how much sway China holds in the global market for renewable energy. Despite a 39% plunge in investments, the country remains by far the world’s biggest clean-energy spender with deals totaling $28.8 billion in the first half. Its decision to pull back subsidies was also the chief reason for a drop in global spending last year.

“The slowdown in investment in China is real,” said Justin Wu, head of BNEF’s Asia-Pacific region.

Some possible good news for the clean energy industry: Spending may pick back up in the second half of the year as an auction for solar power in China triggers a “rush” of project financing and some big offshore wind deals come through, Wu said.

Spending in some countries including Japan and India rose. And despite the drop in Europe, investments in both Spain and Sweden took off, jumping by more than 200% in both countries.

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First published on 2019-07-10 13:39:13

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Indian wind farm developers face troubling delays in getting projects built

February 28, 2019 By Gavilab Leave a Comment

by Anindya Upadhyay, Bloomberg

India has drawn global attention since it started awarding wind power projects at record-low tariffs, spurring optimism that renewable energy could supplant the nation’s abundant coal resources in electricity generation.

But about half of the more than one gigawatt of capacity awarded in the country’s first auctions in 2017 are incomplete, almost five months after their commissioning deadline, according to J.N. Swain, managing director at state-owned Solar Energy Corp. of India, the agency tasked with implementing the country’s renewable energy targets.

The South Asian nation has awarded some of the world’s lowest green energy tariffs and became the biggest auctioneer of solar and wind capacity last year, according to Bloomberg NEF. But the delays are a check on bringing to reality those rock-bottom power rates achieved via auction, the preferred method by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to achieve its goal of installing 175 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2022.

SECI has conducted a total of six rounds of wind auctions since 2017, awarding 8.4 gigawatts of capacity. A large chunk of that capacity auctioned over the last year may take longer than expected to get off the ground, just like the first projects, Swain said in an interview in New Delhi last week.

Wind projects have been delayed by problems obtaining land to build the projects and gaining access to the power grid, according to Swain. These issues have also held up other energy developments in India, such as nuclear power plants and oil refineries.

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‘No Different’

“The issues faced by wind developers are no different from that faced in any other sector,” Swain said in a follow-up message. Those issues are “difficulties in aggregating land and getting right of way for transmission lines. The nature and scale is same for all sectors.”

Of the five companies winning a total capacity of 1,050 megawatts in the first auction, only a unit of Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries Ltd. has been able to commission its 250-megawatt project, according to SECI and the company. Other winners — including Mytrah Energy Ltd., ReNew Power Ltd. and turbine maker Inox Wind Ltd. — have struggled to start up, according to SECI.

India awarded projects in its first federal wind auction in 2017 at 3.46 rupees (5 U.S. cents) per kilowatt hour. Tariffs dropped to as low as a record 2.43 rupees in Gujarat state auctions later that year.

World’s Cheapest

According to BNEF analyst Atin Jain, the levelized tariff in SECI’s third and fourth auction, in February and April 2018, were near $20 per megawatt hour, the cheapest in the world and 6 percent below the levelized lowest bid in a recent Saudi Arabian auction.

Many wind power projects are being delayed because of transmission issues, according to Vinay Rustagi, managing director at renewable energy research firm Bridge to India. The time taken to set up adequate transmission capacity is about three to four years, while a solar or wind project can be built in less than two years.

SECI expects that 3 gigawatts of capacity, out of the 4 gigawatts awarded through the third and fourth auction rounds, will be delayed as developers are finding it difficult to secure land in Gujarat state, Swain said. ReNew Power and Mytrah Energy’s projects in the first round are also delayed because of land access issues, he said.

‘Lose-Lose’

“Land issues are a lose-lose situation for the entire wind ecosystem,” said D.V. Giri, secretary general of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association, adding that delays cause power sale agreements between states and SECI to be violated and equipment inventory to pile up, hurting manufacturers. “Such a situation will not be viewed favorably by the global investor community.”

ReNew Power has commissioned 226 megawatts out of 250 megawatts it won, spokesman Pradeep Wadhwa said in an email. Approval to use land for the remaining capacity has been granted and construction has begun, he added.

Mytrah Energy didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Inox Wind, meanwhile, said its projects in the first round have not been commissioned because the central grid is not ready for it to connect. In addition to its own 250-megawatt project, it’s also building 50 megawatts of capacity won by Adani Green Energy Ltd., which didn’t respond to a request for comment.

“Inox Wind can’t do anything until the central grid is ready,” Devansh Jain, the company’s executive director, said during an earnings call earlier this month, adding the deadline for commissioning was Oct. 5. “So what does the deadline do? The deadline is of honestly no use.”

The buildout of wind power capacity is a topic discussed at POWERGEN International. Learn more about the event here.

First published on 2019-02-28 14:12:00

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UK local authority to produce all electricity from solar

February 28, 2019 By Gavilab Leave a Comment

Two large-scale solar farms are set to make Warrington Borough Council the first local authority in the UK to produce all its own electricity from clean energy.

Solar and storage company GRIDSERVE is to build the solar farms in a deal worth more than £60m.

They will be the biggest to be built in the UK since 2016. Construction of the first 34.7 MW hybrid solar farm, plus 27 MW of battery storage at York – the largest at any UK solar farm – is due to start imminently. This is due to be followed by a 25.7MW solar farm at Hull.

Warrington Borough Council has agreed to pay £62.34m for the two assets and will take ownership when they are operational. GRIDSERVE will continue to operate and maintain the solar farms over their lifetimes to maximise system performance and value for the council.

GRIDSERVE chief executive Toddington Harper said: “Warrington is leading the way in showing councils how solar and battery storage can help generate sustainable income to deliver vital public services, meet climate targets with clean energy, and support a low carbon economy.

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“These will be the most advanced solar farms in the UK – and quite possibly the world – ushering in a new era of subsidy-free, truly sustainable energy. We’ve completely rethought the solar model, looking in detail at how to maximise value at every step, and these projects will also pioneer the use of cutting-edge technologies that serve the grid”.

Warrington Council expects the two projects to generate millions of pounds in profits every year for 30 years. The Hull solar farm will supply all the council’s electricity needs and cut its energy bills by up to £2m a year. Electricity from the York solar farm will initially be sold on the open market, although a number of additional local authorities have already expressed an interest in buying its power.

Warrington Council leader Russ Bowden said: “This deal is good news for Warrington residents and good news for the environment. The solar farms will secure our energy supply, give us control over our energy prices, contribute to reducing fuel poverty and generate an estimated operating surplus of £150 million over 30 years that can be invested back into the most important frontline services.

“Councils have a major role to play in helping to meet carbon emission reduction targets. These two sites are a working model that we hope other Local Authorities will follow.”

The two solar farms will involve a number of “firsts” for the UK solar industry, pioneering the commercial use of new technologies to maximise solar generation, make more money from electricity sales, and earn income from grid services.

The 27 MW lithium-ion battery storage system at York will share the grid connection and allow GRIDSERVE to control the flow of energy so it can get better prices for the solar power and earn money by providing services that help National Grid to balance supply and demand and support growth of renewables and electric vehicles. A battery storage system is also planned to be installed at Hull in a later phase of the project.

York and Hull will also be the first UK solar farms to use bifacial solar panels, which generate energy on both sides. They will also be the first large-scale UK projects to use trackers which follow the sun, maximising generation over the whole day, and minimising ‘price cannibalisation’ risk from solar farms with fixed position solar panels which typically produce peak output at the same time each day.

GRIDSERVE and Warrington also plan to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure

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linked to both sites. These will be among the first in a nationwide network GRIDSERVE is developing, offering supercharging for up to 24 electric vehicles simultaneously.

First published on 2019-02-28 07:00:00

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