The Role of Utility-Scale PV Plants in Grid Stability and Reliability

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.
Key Messages
PV power plant is a cost-effective energy resource
PV variability can be managed with existing grid

infrastructure through forecasting and site diversity
with minimum impact
Well designed Grid Friendly PV plant actively

stabilizes grid and enhances its reliability
First Solar Utility Scale PV Plant Leader
Over 3GW Completed or In Development (10MW AC 550MW AC Plants)
Utility Scale PV Power Plant Overview

PV Module
Arrays
Inverters
Combiner
Boxes
Transformers
300 to
690V (AC)
1000V (DC)
Photovoltaic
Combining
Switchgear
Substation
34.5kV (AC) Typical
Gen Tie-line
Power Grid
69 to 525kV (AC)
PV Module
PV Module
Arrays
1000V (DC)
Combiner Box
Combiner
Boxes
Aggregates DC wiring from multiple strings
(80KW-160KW)
Provides single dc output to inverter
1000V (DC)
Utility Scale Solar Plant Inverters

Inverters
Converts DC power to AC (low voltage)

Grid Management Functions (LVRT,
Reactive Power, etc.)

300 to
690V (AC)
UL1741 and IEEE1547 compliant
1000V (DC)
Transformer
Increases low AC voltage to medium
Transformers
AC voltage for Collection System
300 to
690V (AC)
34.5kV (AC) Typical
Power Conversion Station (PCS) Inverter & Step-up Transformer
Photovoltaic Combining Switchgear (PVCS)
34.5kV (AC) Typical
Aggregates AC power from multiple
transformers (up to 40MW)
Photovoltaic
Combining
Switchgear
10
Substation and Generator Tie-line

Provides plant controls, disconnects, and
step up transformer
Delivers electricity to the grid
Substation
Gen Tie-line
Power Grid
69 to 525kV (AC)
11
Largest utility scale solar plant in the world
TOPAZ SOLAR FARM
12
Reliable bulk power generation utilizing advanced plant controls and forecasting
AGUA CALIENTE
13
Co-located with existing gas combined cycle power plant
COPPER MOUNTAIN 1
14
Displacing the energy requirements of a desalination plant
GREENOUGH RIVER
15
Nakorn Ratchasima, Thailand 7.5 MW(DC)
16
Providing energy security to India and displacing 1 million tons of coal
PHALODI
17
DEWA SOLAR PLANT
18
PV Plant Variability Agua Caliente July 2013
19
Grid Integration and Plant Control Systems
20
Typical Convention Generation, Transmission and Distribution System
Power
Flow
top down power flow

high voltage lines to low
voltage lines
Power
Flow
Conventional Centralized
Generation
22
Source: U.S. Department of Energy. "Benefits of Using Mobile Transformers and Mobile Substations for Rapidly Restoring Electric Service: A Report to the United States Congress
What happens when load changes? . Generator has to change output

Generation
Increase
100kW
Load
Increase
100kW
As load changes, the

generators have to
respond instantly to
change its output
Bulk electricity storage is
not common
23
In Practice Aggregated load matters

Generator
Decrease
400kW
Load
Increase
100kW
What really matters is

the changes to
Load
Decrease
500kW
aggregated load not

individual load
24
Multiple Generators and Control Areas

Multiple Generators
In grid of reasonable size, multiple generators

operation
Total Generation = Aggregated Load + Losses in
a Control Area
Must maintain regulating and contingency
reserves to meet control performance and
reliability standards
Multiple Loads
are present and are scheduled for daily
25
Source: Bernd Engel, SMA
Daily Load Forecasting and Generator Dispatch

Economic Dispatch
Day Ahead
Forecast
Load
use load forecast to

commit units (hours to
12
Time of Day
18
24
day ahead)
26
Grid Operators Deal with Variability & Uncertainty

Use load forecast and
Day Ahead
Forecast
Load
Actual
Load
uncertainty in load and

generation through regulation
12
Time of Day
18
24
and dispatch operation
27
Load Following and Regulation Reserves

Load Following:
Adjust set point
(10 min to hours)
Regulation:
output (secs to
minutes)
Regulation = Actual Load Real-time Forecast Load
Load Following = Real-time Forecast Load Hourly Schedule
Automatically
adjusts generator
28
Grid Stability & Reliability
Load Balancing
Power Systems Planning & Design
Milliseconds to Minutes
Hours to Days
Years
PV solar
intermittency raises
grid stability and
reliability concerns
PV Variability
increases
operational
complexity
Higher PV
penetration
requires increased
grid flexibility
Key Topics Impact of PV Solar on Power Grid
29
Variable Generation Integration Topics

Load Balancing
Msec to Minutes
Hours to Days
Years
CONCERN
Solar PV generation does

not contribute to the reliability of
bulk generation
Add grid controls to support reliability

and grid security
Milliseconds to Minutes
Source: Pacific North West Laboratory, Grid Stability; The Challenges of power grid stability. http://eioc.pnnl.gov/research/gridstability.stm
LEARNING
30
NERC Task Force on Intermittent Resources Impact to the Grid

Modern solar plants can now contribute to the
reliability and efficiency of grid operation by offering
the following capabilities:
Voltage, VAR control and/or power factor regulation
Fault ride through
Primary frequency regulation

Frequency droop response
Short circuit duty control
Real power control, ramping, and curtailment
31
Voltage Support Power Flow Reversal

PV
Substation
House 2
20 kV
0,4 kV
Conductor
House 1
Transformer
Reverse Flow
Voltage
Violation
Reverse Flow with

PV Reactive Power
Voltage Drop
Distance
Normal Flow
Voltage Drop
Maximum
Load
P
Last 1
Allowable
Range
Voltage
Q
Last 2
High Feed-in
Low Load
High Feed-in
Low Load
+ Reactive Power
Source: Bernd Engel, SMA
PV With Reactive Power Capability Avoids Costly Network Upgrades
MV Grid
IEEE 1547
prohibits
voltage
control
32
Voltage Regulation
34
Utility Scale Active Power Control
Reduced
Power
35
Grid Integration and Plant Control System

PV Module
Arrays
Power Conversion Station (PCS)
Combiner
Boxes
Photovoltaic Combining
Switchgear (PVCS)
Substation
Power Grid
Inverters
Transformer
Checks grids actual conditions and
required set points
Plant SCADA system
Real-time Controllers
Controls quality of power coming

out of the PV plant
Short Term
Forecasting
Set Points
All every 100 milliseconds!
Satellite Imagery
Sends individual instructions to

each inverter based on location,
losses, and performance
36
Without a Plant Control System
Inverter
Curtailed
Locally
Plant
Output Limit
37
Benefit of Plant Level Control System
Plant
Plant
Output
OutputLimit
Limit
38
Proprietary plant controller

Dynamic Power Factor Regulation

Power Factor Set
Point Changed
from 0.98 to 1.0
Inverters
Change
VAr Output
Source: Agua Caliente PV Plant in Yuma, Arizona, USA May 23, 2012. ~212MW on-line.
Command Power Factor
Reaches 90%
Steady State Value
in ~ 3.2 seconds
40
Plant Curtailment Test
Power Curtailment at Different Levels

Inverters are
Turned Down/
OFF to curtail
output
Set Point
Reduced
Source: Agua Caliente PV Plant in Yuma, Arizona, USA March 13, 2012. ~90MW on-line.
Ramp rates between

set point changes
are controlled
Set Point
Increased
41
Ramp Rate Controls
Stopping and Starting One Block (30MW)

Plant Stop
Command
Source: Agua Caliente PV Plant in Yuma, Arizona, USA March 13, 2012. ~90MW on-line.
Plant Start
Command
Inverters are
Turned Off in
Sequence;
Ramp Rates
are Controlled
Inverters are
Started in
Sequence
42
Ability to reduce active power in case

grid is overloaded (i.e., high
frequency)
When grid needs more generation
(i.e., low frequency) renewable plant
cannot increase active power
unless plant is already curtailed
then it can increase power
Decrease Active Power In
Case of High Frequency
Plant Controls Support Frequency Droop
Frequency Droop Control
43
PV Plants are designed to

support both voltage and
frequency ride-through
capability leveraging utility
scale inverters and best
practices
(Source: SMA)
Power Plant Fault Ride-Through Behavior
44
What Makes a PV Plant Grid Friendly?
45

Load Balancing
Msec to Minutes
Hours to Days
Years
CONCERN
Solar Generation is not fully dispatchable
Load Balancing
Adds variability and uncertainty . . .

complicates daily dispatch .
Integrate forecasting into daily operation
Hours to Days
Improved operating procedures balancing

area, frequent updates, ramping support
LEARNING
46
Net Demand
LoadCurve
(MW) (MW)
Net Load
12
Time of Day (Hours)
24
Source: SEC Data. 2020 Load and Generation Mix Projected @5.6% annually for illustration purposes only. FS estimate on PV contribution. Actual resource distribution likely to be different.
Daily Load
PV Solar
47
One-minute Global Irradiance (W/sq.m)
Single Location
One-minute Global Irradiance (W/sq.m)
20 Bundled Locations
Source: Hoff et al. 2008
Spatial diversity of solar plants reduces aggregated variability

minimizing grid impact as the number of solar plants increase
Source: Implications of Wide-Area Geographic Diversity for Short-Term Variability of Solar Power; Andrew Mills and Ryan Wiser, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, September 2010
Aggregation Effect Between Plants Reduces Variability
48
Impact of Cloud Passage on Plant Output

Total Power
As plants become larger high frequency variability reduces.
Average Irradiance
49
NRG/MidAmerican Agua Caliente 290MWac
First 2008 EPC Project

Sempra El Dorado
10MW
2.0 Miles
Yuma County
Dateland, Arizona USA
2,400 Acres
39,000 Tons Steel
PPA: PG&E
EPC/O&M: NRG
3.0 Miles
North America
Largest PV Plant
Enbridge Sarnia
80 MW
50
NextEra / GE Desert Sunlight 550MWac
3.9 Miles
3.1 Miles
NRG Agua
290MW ac
51

Load Balancing
Msec to Minutes
Hours to Days
Years
CONCERN
Variable generation requires grid flexibility
Adopt diverse resource portfolio to

increase flexibility and reduce risks
Years
LEARNING
52
Solar is a hedge against fuel price volatility
Complementing the Power Portfolio
53
Power System Planning and Design

Requires a generation mix with more operational
flexibility to serve the net load
Solar generation
reduces peak load
Addition of varaible generation:

Net Load Duration Curve becomes
more steep
Hydro
Gas GT
Generation
Peaking
Generation
Gas CCGT
Mid-Merit
Generation
Mid-Merit
Less Base Load

and more Mid-Merit
and Peaking
Generation
Generation
Base Load
Generation
Base Load
Generation
Hours of Operation / Year

System Load
Net System Load with VG
Variable generation has impact on
low and minimum load conditions
(Source: Nick Miller at GE)

Coal
System Load
Peaking
54
California20% Renewables and Growing to 33%

GWh
25000
Successfully integrated 20%

renewables today
20000
Building toward 33% renewable

energy
15000
Dispatchable Renewables
Wind
Solar
5000
0
2006 (~10%)
2012 (20%)
2020 E (33%)
Operators have managed high penetration. Others can leverage this learning.
CAISO Testimony in 2010 CPUC LTPP Docket No. R.10-05-006; July 1, 2011; Exhibit 1, slide 5; trajectory scenario
10000
55
Source: CAISO
Matt Burkhart
SDGE, Sempra
Feb 13,2013
Solar Power Gen San Diego
Typical Load, Solar and Wind Generating March 2020
56
56
Source: CAISO
Matt Burkhart
SDGE, Sempra
Feb 13,2013
Solar Power Gen San Diego
Net Load and Flexible Capacity Needs
57
57
Flexibility Supply Curve
Study needed to determine shape of Flexibility Supply Curve and Quantify Costs
Storage
Wind/Solar
Curtailment
Traditional
Storage
Flexible
Generation
Hydro with Dams
Pumped Hydro
Gas Storage
Markets
Low
Cost
Real-Time
Hour Ahead
Day-Ahead
Price Responsive Load
Ancillary Service
In Range of
1 or 2%
Batteries
Flywheels
CAES
PHEV
Simple Cycle GT
Combined Cycle
Some Coal Plants
Sources of Flexibility
High
Cost
58
Conclusions
Modern PV plants can contribute actively to grid stability and
reliability
PV variability can be managed without significant impact to
existing grid infrastructure through site diversity and
forecasting
PV power plants offer a cost-effective energy resource

Large-scale PV has been successfully integrated into grids
worldwide
No reported issues due to often cited barriers: PV variability,
harmonics, DC current injection, anti-islanding failure or
protection coordination
Bulk energy storage has not been necessary for variable
generation integration
Lessons learned to date on Renewable Integration
59

The Role of Utility-Scale PV Plants in Grid Stability and Reliability

Cargado por

Información del documento

Derechos de autor

Formatos disponibles

Compartir este documento

Compartir o incrustar documentos

Opciones para compartir

¿Le pareció útil este documento?

¿Este contenido es inapropiado?

Copyright:

Formatos disponibles

The Role of Utility-Scale PV Plants in Grid Stability and Reliability

Cargado por

Copyright:

Formatos disponibles

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

PV variability can be managed with existing grid

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Well designed Grid Friendly PV plant actively

First Solar Utility Scale PV Plant Leader

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Over 3GW Completed or In Development (10MW AC 550MW AC Plants)

Utility Scale PV Power Plant Overview

34.5kV (AC) Typical

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Aggregates DC wiring from multiple strings

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Utility Scale Solar Plant Inverters

Converts DC power to AC (low voltage)

Reactive Power, etc.)

UL1741 and IEEE1547 compliant

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

AC voltage for Collection System

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

34.5kV (AC) Typical

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Power Conversion Station (PCS) Inverter & Step-up Transformer

Photovoltaic Combining Switchgear (PVCS)

34.5kV (AC) Typical

Aggregates AC power from multiple

transformers (up to 40MW)

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Substation and Generator Tie-line

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Largest utility scale solar plant in the world

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

TOPAZ SOLAR FARM

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Co-located with existing gas combined cycle power plant

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Displacing the energy requirements of a desalination plant

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Nakorn Ratchasima, Thailand 7.5 MW(DC)

Providing energy security to India and displacing 1 million tons of coal

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

DEWA SOLAR PLANT

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

PV Plant Variability Agua Caliente July 2013

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Grid Integration and Plant Control Systems

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

Typical Convention Generation, Transmission and Distribution System

top down power flow

What happens when load changes? . Generator has to change output

As load changes, the

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

In Practice Aggregated load matters

What really matters is

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

aggregated load not

Multiple Generators and Control Areas

In grid of reasonable size, multiple generators

Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

are present and are scheduled for daily

Source: Bernd Engel, SMA

Daily Load Forecasting and Generator Dispatch