Integration of
Wind and Hydropower Systems
OPERATING AGENT:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
OA Representative:
Tom Acker
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Northern Arizona University
College of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Sustainable Energy Solutions Group
Peterson Hall, Building 22, Bewaver Street
P.O. Box 15600
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5600
Cell: +1 928 607 6814
Voice: +1 928 523 8363
Fax: +1 928 523 2300
Email: Tom Acker
Web Site: Task 24 Wind Hydro Power Systems
Within IEA Wind member countries, power systems operate about 450 GW of hydropower capacity and approximately 62 GW of wind power capacity. Several of the member countries are pursuing integrating these two renewable resources for the benefit of consumers and the electrical generation system. Attendees at an IEA Wind Topical Experts Meeting in 2003 expressed the desire for conducting cooperative research on the integration of wind and hydropower technologies under the auspices of the IEA Wind agreement. In response, a proposal for Task 24 Integration of Wind and Hydropower Systems was approved by the ExCo in May 2004. This cooperative research effort, which will operate for four years, ending in May 2008, offers participating organizations a way to multiply the experience and knowledge gained from individual efforts. This is particularly important since there are many different hydro system configurations, in many different electricity markets. In addition, the IEA Wind Task 24 works in cooperation with the IEA Hydropower Implementing Agreement, which is investigating integration of hydropower and wind through a complementary set of investigations.
Figure 1 A conceptual view of the relationships between wind power, hydropower, and the transmission control area, and the issues surrounding their integration
Task 24 has two primary purposes:
1) To conduct cooperative research concerning the generation, transmission, and economics of integrating wind and
hydropower systems, and
2) To provide a forum for information exchange.
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To establish an international forum for exchange of knowledge, ideas, and experiences related to the integration of wind and hydropower technologies within electricity supply systems |
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To share information among participating members concerning grid integration; transmission issues; hydrological and hydropower impacts; markets and economics; and simplified modeling techniques |
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To identify technically and economically feasible system configurations for integrating wind and hydropower, including the effects of market structure on wind-hydro system economics with the intention of identifying the most effective market structures |
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To document case studies pertaining to wind and hydropower integration, and create an Internet report library. |
The outcomes of the work conducted under Task 24 include:
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The identification of practical wind/hydro system configurations |
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A consistent method of studying the technical and economic feasibility of integrating wind and hydropower systems |
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The ancillary services required by wind energy and the electric system reliability impacts of incorporating various levels of wind energy into utility grids that include hydro generation |
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An understanding of the costs and benefits of and the barriers and opportunities to integrating wind and hydropower systems |
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A database of reports describing case studies and wind-hydro system analyses conducted through cooperative research of the Annex. |
Table 1 Task 24 Member Countries, Contracting Parties, and Participants
| Country | Contracting Party | Participant |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australia Wind Energy Assoc. | Hydro Tasmania |
| Canada | Natural Resources Canada | Natural Resources Canada Manitoba Hydro |
| Finland | TEKES National Technology Agency in Finland | VTT Processes |
| Norway | Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate | Sintef Energy Research Statkraft Energy |
| Sweden | Swedish Energy Agency | KTH Swedish Institute of Technology |
| Switzerland | Swiss Federal Office of Energy | EW Ursern |
| United States | U.S. Department of Energy | National Renewable Energy Laboratory Arizona Power Authority Bonneville Power Administration Grant County Public Utility District GE Global Research Sacramento Municipal Utility District |
The objectives and outcomes of the Task will be achieved through four types of case studies conducted by the participants: grid integration, hydrologic impact, market and economics, and simplified modeling of wind-hydro integration potential. While many case studies may involve all four of these topics, some studies may only address and share information related to one. Each case study will address problem formulation and assumptions, analysis techniques, and results.
For more information, please visit the Task 24 Web site.
