Renewable Energy: Resources and Integration

Introduction

The course will provide a comprehensive overview of renewable energy resources and their integration into the electricity industry, with a particular focus on wind and solar energy and their integration into the Australian National Electricity Market.

Our expert instructor will describe the main renewable energy resources, their distribution in Australia and elsewhere and the technologies that are used to convert renewable energy resources into electrical energy. He will also describe complementary resources including energy storage, flexible demand and the flexible conventional generation that can facilitate renewable energy integration.

The course will then discuss wind and solar PV integration in more detail, considering temporal and locational aspects, technical and safety standards and economic and commercial aspects. Relevant current energy policy settings will be considered.

Objectives

• Renewable energy resources at global and Australian levels (solar, wind, biomass, hydro, geothermal, marine)
• Technologies for converting renewable energy resources to electrical energy
• Energy storage technologies for electricity industry applications
• Opportunities and techniques for demand-side flexibility
• Other complementary resources that can facilitate renewable energy integration
• Challenges in integrating renewable energy resources and their resolution: technical, commercial, planning & regulation
• Experience to date in deploying renewable energy and energy storage technologies in the Australian National Electricity Market and elsewhere
• Lessons learned and future directions

Training Methodology

The program is delivered in a combination of lecture-style and computer-based training. In addition, a significant amount of time is set aside for small working group activity when addressing case study problems. Extensive use is made of case study material to underline the key aspects of the course and to give the delegates exposure to current best practice.

Who Should Attend?

Managers, executives, and staff from the electricity, gas, renewable energy and storage industries, regulatory bodies and government, banks, brokers, lawyers, consultants, industry advisors, major energy users and other industry professionals seeking more knowledge about the current electricity industry and future trends.

Course Outline

Renewable energy resources and conversion technologies for electricity generation

• Renewable energy resources in the global & Australian contexts – what are the key resources and where are they located?
• Renewable energy electricity generation technologies – what are their characteristics and development trajectories and how do they compare to non-renewable generation technologies?
• Complementary resources that can facilitate renewable energy integration: energy storage, flexible demand, and flexible conventional generation
• Comparison of power electronic interfaced generators with turbo-alternators with respect to inertia, fault-level, and short term dynamic behavior and implications for power system operation
• Where do wind & solar PV fit into the broader renewable energy picture?

Renewable energy integration as a process of technological and societal innovation and acculturation

• What do we mean by socio-technological innovation and societal acculturation?
• How can we apply these ideas to renewable energy integration?
• How do integration challenges vary with renewable energy type, electricity industry scale, and national context? Where do wind & solar PV fit?
• Electricity industry observability, predictability & controllability: data acquisition, communication, analysis and control
• Can “smart grid” and “microgrid” concepts help in renewable energy integration?

Temporal aspects of wind & solar PV integration

• Temporal characteristics of wind & solar PV resources and implications for their integration into the electricity industry
• Implications of the absence of inertia and other characteristics of power electronic interfaced devices: generators, energy storage, and end-user devices
• The role of forecasting in predicting future wind & solar PV production: to what extent are they predictable?
• Complementary resources and their role in facilitating wind & solar integration: flexible conventional generation, demand-side flexibility & reversible energy storage
• The role for system operators, energy markets and ancillary services in managing temporal aspects of wind & solar integration

Locational aspects of wind & solar PV integration:

• The effects of network losses and network flow constraints
• Implications of embedded generators & low fault currents for power system protection & voltage control
• Connection requirements for wind & solar PV, including technical and safety standards
• The role of network control ancillary services in managing network impacts
• The role of governments and regulators in resolving network-related issues

Planning procedures and safety issues for renewable energy projects

• Planning approval processes for renewable energy projects and “best practice” guidelines
• Safety issues associated with renewable energy projects – mechanical failure, fire and electrocution, batteries

Case study: Wind & solar PV integration in the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM)

• Renewable energy generator status in the NEM wholesale market – scheduled, semi-scheduled or non-scheduled; market or non-market
• Rooftop solar PV and other small renewable generators in the retail market
• The role of energy and frequency control ancillary service (FCAS) spot and derivative markets in managing temporal variability and uncertainty in the NEM
• Planning processes in the NEM
• Cash flows associated with the National Electricity Market–spot energy and FCAS markets and associated derivative markets, network services cash flows & retail markets
• The Australian Wind & Solar Energy Forecasting Systems
• Experience to date with microgrids
• Recent policy developments including the Finkel Report outcomes, government initiatives and current work by AEMO, AEMC and AER.