A comparison of variation management strategies for wind power integration in different electricity system contexts

Abstract

Variation management strategies improve the capability of the electricity system to meet variations both in the electricity demand and in the generation that relies on variable energy sources. In this work, we introduce a new, functionality‐based, categorization of variation management strategies: shifting (eg, batteries), absorbing (eg, power‐to‐gas), and complementing (dispatchable generation, including reservoir hydropower) strategies. A dispatch model with European coverage (EU‐27 plus Norway and Switzerland) is applied to compare the benefits of shifting and absorbing strategies on wind integration in regions with different amounts of complementing strategies in place. The benefits are measured in terms of the wind value factor, wind owner revenue, and average short‐term generation cost. The results of the modeling show that the reduction in average short‐term generation cost and the increase in revenue earned by the wind owner from shifting strategies, such as the use of batteries, are more substantial at low wind shares than at high wind shares. The opposite situation is found for absorbing strategies, such as power‐to‐gas, which are found to be more efficient at reducing the average generation cost and increasing profit for the wind owner as the wind share increases. In regions that have access to complementing strategies in the form of reservoir hydropower, variation management has a weak ability to reduce the average short‐term generation cost, although it can increase significantly the revenue accrued by the wind power owner.

Impacts of thermal energy storage on the management of variable demand and production in electricity and district heating systems: a Swedish case study

“…The analysis and description of the different TES units in this paper use the VMS categories of shifting, absorbing, and complementing technologies, as defined by Göransson and Johnsson (2018). In brief, a shifting VMS is short-term and operates within one sector, where it stores energy for later use or moves the demand in time (e.g.…”

Impact of electric vehicles on the cost-competitiveness of generation and storage technologies in the electricity system

“…Mileva et al [13] show that high levels of solar generation in the electricity system can be cost-effectively integrated using a portfolio of technological options. Göransson and Johnsson [14] have shown that batteries are typically the preferred option for intra-day storage that spans over a couple of hours, while wind power generation needs storage for longer periods of variation [14].…”

Electric Vehicles as Flexibility Management Strategy for the Electricity System—A Comparison between Different Regions of Europe

“…Solar power and wind power require different types of flexibility from the electricity system, since the fluctuations in their electricity generation differ in characteristics. Solar power needs mainly storage for 6-12 h (to store electricity between day-time and night-time) while wind power exhibits fluctuations in electricity generation over a time period up to several days, and for some regions there is also a need to store large volumes of electricity between seasons [3].…”