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Balancing wind energy in the grid: an overall, techno-economic and coordinated approach (WINDBALANCE) (PHASE II)

Research project SD/EN/02B (Research action SD)

Persons :

  • Prof. dr.  BELMANS Ronnie - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven)
    Coordinator of the project
    Financed belgian partner
    Duration: 15/12/2008-31/1/2011
  • Dr.  D'HAESELEER William - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven)
    Financed belgian partner
    Duration: 15/12/2008-31/1/2011
  • Dr.  MAUN Jean-Claude - Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
    Financed belgian partner
    Duration: 15/12/2008-31/1/2011

Description :

Context

Wind energy can make an important contribution to reaching the Belgian target for renewable energy sources (RES) imposed by the European Commission (Directive 2001/77/EC). However, the participation of wind energy in markets must always assure security of supply (Proposal for a Directive COM(2003)740). Finally, wind energy support must be compatible with the Internal Market (Directive 2003/54/EC).

With current market rules wind power can difficultly enter the markets. However, the capacity of wind that can be installed in the Belgian grid is limited due to such market barriers but also technical limitations. It is the objective of this project to identify these barriers and to analyze how they could be removed. With the results of this project, Belgian policy makers will be able to take the necessary actions to increase the potential of wind energy.


Project description

Objectives

Wind can best be integrated in the power system if it becomes integrated in the market environment. Since the market as it exists today has emerged in the period of a concentrated market (with central power plants in largely public or regulated ownership) it is not adapted to decentralized generation. With current market rules wind power can difficultly enter these markets as they are today. Since a large share of wind energy is supposed to become integrated in the future, benign conditions for wind power are necessary for its participation in the market. In recent years, several initiatives were taken to develop offshore wind farms in the Belgian area of the North Sea. However, the capacity of wind that can be installed in the Belgian grid, as in other countries, is limited due to such market barriers but also technical limitations. It is the objective of this project to identify these barriers limiting the wind potential in Belgium, and to analyze how they could be removed. Consequently, with the results of this project, Belgian policy makers will be able to take the necessary actions to increase the potential of wind energy.


Methodology

The methodology proposes to approach the problem from two sides: In Module 1, wind energy as a decentralised power source with variable output is modelled for a single wind farm. This way, the value of wind power in energy markets can be modelled and the behaviour of wind power producers as a response to market prices can be estimated with different applicable market rules. The chosen approach in Module 1 is from the bottom up. In Module 2, the power system is modelled as a whole. Unit commitment in the centralised, hence, dispatchable fraction of the Belgian power generation park is modelled yielding the status of the power generation system and the network as a whole. The chosen approach in Module 2 is top down, taking into consideration the models for wind power generation from Module 1.

Finally, in Module 3, the economic possibilities to integrate wind energy (behaving as described in Module 1) into the global system (Module 2) are analysed. Firstly, additional measures in order to facilitate the integration of wind energy are described and, secondly, a sensitivity analysis is carried out in order to identify the degree to which market rules, boundary conditions, technical constraints and additional measures affect the feasibility to integrate wind energy into the power system.


Expected results

Results Year 1 (Module 1):

• Market inventory and description of market rules
• Stochastic description of wind power output and its prediction error for different time scales. These will serve as a basis for generating synthetic time series of wind power output and prediction errors.
• Stochastic description of markets outcomes. These will serve for generating synthetic time series of market prices.
• Market simulation tool for single wind farms.

Results Year 2 (Module 2):

• Report on technical upper limit for wind in ideal conditions.
• Report on technical upper limit for wind considering network constraints.

Results Years 3 and 4 (Module 3):

• Technical parameters of potential technologies for additional balancing measures.
• Set of proposed market mechanisms for procuring these services.
• General evaluation of different market scenarios.


Partners

R & D organisation Relevant core competences & know-how

KULeuven-ELECTA Distributed Energy Resources, Power Electronics, Electrical power transport and grid operation

3E Energy in buildings, Solar thermal energy, Photovoltaics, Biomass and Policy studies

KULeuven-TME fluid mechanics and heat transfer, combustion, energy and environment and industrial safety

ULB operation, monitoring and protection of power systems


Contact information

Coordinator

Ronnie Belmans
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
ESAT/ELEN Departement of Electrical Engineering
Kasteelpark Arenberg 10
B-3001 Heverlee
Tel:+32 (0)16 32.10.20
Fax:+32 (0)16 32.19.85
Ronnie.Belmans@esat.kuleuven.ac.be
http://www.esat.kuleuven.ac.be/electa/
Promoters

Geert Palmers
3E nv
Verenigingstraat 39
B-1000 Brussel
Tel:+32 (02) 217 58 68
Fax:+32 (02) 219 79 89
geert.palmers@3E.be
www.3E.be

William D’Haeseleer
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KULeuven)
Applied Mechanics and Energy Conversion (TME)
Celestijnenlaan 300A
B-3001 Heverlee
Tel:+32 (0)16 32 25 10
Fax:+32 (0)16 32 29 85
William.Dhaeseleer@mech.kuleuven.be
http://www.mech.kuleuven.be/tme/

Jean-Claude Maun
Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
Service de Génie Electrique (GENELEC)
Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50
B-1050 Bruxelles
Tel:+32 (0)2 650 26 62
Fax:+32 (0)2 650 26 53
jcmaun@ulb.ac.be
http://www.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/unites/ULB358.html


Follow-up committee


Jean-Marie Delincé - Elia s.a. Belgium
Jaap Jan Ferweda - Windivision Belgium nv Belgium
Dominique Gusbin - Bureau fédéral du Plan Belgium
Bram Klijnsma - Electrabel Belgium
Gerard Maas - Tennet Holding B.V. Nederland
Mark O'Malley - UCD Ireland
Antje Orths - Energinet Denmark
Thierry Van Craenenbroeck - Vlaamse Reguleringsinstantie voor de Elektriciteits- en Gasmarkt Belgium
Frank Van den Berghe - ELIA Belgium
Frans Van Hulle - EWEA Belgium
Bruno Vanderschueren - LAMPIRIS sa Belgium

Documentation :

Balancing wind energy in the grid: an overall, techno-economic and coordinated approach : final report  Belmans, Ronnie - D'haeseleer, William - Palmers, Geert ... et al  Brussels : Federal Science Policy, 2012 (SP2476)
[To download]  [To order

Balancing wind energy in the grid: an overall, techno-economic and coordinated approach : summary of the results  Belmans, Ronnie - D'haeseleer, William - Palmers, Geert ... et al  Brussels : Federal Science Policy, 2012 (SP2477)
[To download

Equilibrage de l’énergie éolienne dans le reseau électrique : une approche intégrée, technico-économique et coordonnée : résumé des résultats  Belmans, Ronnie - D'haeseleer, William - Palmers, Geert ... et al  Bruxelles : Politique scientifique fédérale, 2012 (SP2478)
[To download

Balancing met windenergie in het elektriciteitsnet: een globale technisch-economische en gecoördineerde aanpak : samenvatting van de resultaten  Belmans, Ronnie - D'haeseleer, William - Palmers, Geert ... et al  Brussel : Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, 2012 (SP2479)
[To download