Requirements for Validation of Dynamic Wind Turbine Models: An International Grid Code Review

Abstract

Wind power is positioned as one of the fastest-growing energy sources today, while also being a mature technology with a strong capacity for creating employment and guaranteeing environmental sustainability. However, the stochastic nature of wind may affect the integration of power plants into power systems and the availability of generation capacity. In this sense, as in the case of conventional power plants, wind power installations should be able to help maintain power system stability and reliability. To help achieve this objective, a significant number of countries have developed so-called grid interconnection agreements. These are designed to define the technical and behavioral requirements that wind power installations, as well as other power plants, must comply with when seeking connection to the national network. These documents also detail the tasks that should be conducted to certify such installations, so these can be commercially exploited. These certification processes allow countries to assess wind turbine and wind power plant simulation models. These models can then be used to estimate and simulate wind power performance under a variety of scenarios. Within this framework, and with a particular focus on the new Spanish grid code, the present paper addresses the validation process of dynamic wind turbine models followed in three countries—Spain, Germany and South Africa. In these three countries, and as a novel option, it has been proposed that these models form part of the commissioning and certification processes of wind power plants.

Requirements for New Grid Codes: A Review in Spain and Portugal

“…The second edition was published in November 2020. The guidelines document, called Technical Supervision Standard, 'Norma Técnica de Supervisión' (NTS) [6], develops the aspects set out in the Spanish normative documents that form the new grid code -those requiring a greater level of detailaimed at verifying the compliance of the electricity generation modules that are going to be connected to the national grid [7].…”

Stand-Alone Hybrid Power Plant Based on SiC Solar PV and Wind Inverters with Smart Spinning Reserve Management

“…Nevertheless, the variability of renewable generation makes necessary the presence of back-up systems [7]. In this regard, battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are expensive, and synchronous generators (SGs) powered by diesel, gas, biomass or hydro need to be constantly running to compensate a sudden drop of solar photovoltaic (PV) or wind generation without causing an interruption in the load power supply.…”

Optimal Sizing of Energy Storage System for Operation of Wind Farms Considering Grid-Code Constraints

“…A small change in wind speed can cause large fluctuations in the output power of WF systems, which can cause several difficulties in the operation of the power system, even causing instability of the whole system [7,8]. Therefore, transmission system operators (TSOs) often impose different requirements for the operation of large WF systems to ensure the stability of the power system; so-called grid-code constraints [9][10][11]. WF systems need to meet these requirements during the connection time to the power system.…”