How Wind Farms

Affect The Grid

Performance
Eng. Fatma Nada
Studies Consultant EETC
1

 Large wind farms are typically

located
where
good
wind
resources exist, and are often
far away from the main load
centres and strong AC network
connections.
Large wind farms can result in
major changes to the load flow
within the network, causing real
and reactive power flows that
were not experienced before.

 Wind power stations have some

features
that
make
their
operational
behaviour
different
from that of conventional power
stations, which since many years
have been the main source of
electrical energy.
In line with such a spectacular
increase of wind power, there are
several questions, regarding the
Integration of large scale wind
power into AC power systems that
must be clarified.

 This presentation will focus on the

important
issues related to system operation,
stability, and protection when large scale
wind power plants are integrated into
power systems.
1.The requirements for wind power plants
for
transmission
networks
will
be
described.
2. Challenges and grid codes technical
requirements in worldwide courtiers
having considerable share of wind power.

 These cover fault ride through, voltage and

frequency operating range, reactive power
range/voltage
control,
wind
power
forecasts requirements, as well as remote
operation requirements.
From that point, the need to have different
control and protection philosophy in big
electrical networks is emphasized through
using Real-Time Wide Area Monitoring,
Protection
and
Control
systems
(RT
WAMPAC).
Within the ongoing rise in electricity
demand, wind energy will play a major role

The world wide trend is to utilize the

renewable energy resources since the
expected life time for fossil fuel is about
30 -> 50 years

The target of
European
countries to
reach
20 % by the year
2020

The typical wind farm output from

Zafarana during March 2010.

The GWH during year 2010-2011,this

change raise challenges for the
integration of large amount of wind
power into the grid.

 Large wind farms can result in major

changes to the load flow within the
network, causing real and reactive
power
flows
that
were
not
experienced before.
In line with such a large increase of
wind power, there are several
questions, regarding the Integration
of large scale wind power into AC
power systems that must be clarified.

which
How should
wind farms
be expected

requirements
should
be imposed
to order
behave
perform?
in
toand
expect
wind farms to support
the system?
Is it realistic to expect wind turbines
and wind farms to behave as any other
conventional
power
plant?
What is the behaviour during grid faults/
ride through?

What
about
reactive
power
compensation
and
voltage
control,
voltage and frequency operating range,
remote
data
transfer
andforecast

In order to accommodated and safely operate a high

level of variable and uncontrollable wind power
generation on a power system, many challenge on
both wind power transmission technologies and
transmission grid a raises, this include:
1. Wind power forecasts requirements.
2.Fault ride through (FRT) requirements;
3.System frequency and frequency response
requirements;
4.Transmission system voltage and reactive power
5.capability requirements;
6.Remote operation requirements;

A forecast
wind generation
Wind of
power
forecast is an
additional input to the pre-dispatch
requirements
demand forecasting processes. Grid
Codes specify that controllable wind
farms should provide their wind power
output forecasts at least once a day for
the following 48 hours for, as an
example, each 30-minute interval. A
forecast update must also be available
in National Control Center (NCC). The
accuracy of the wind power forecasts
depends of a number of factors, the
most important being the wind speed
forecast.

Large Scale Wind Generation

Energy Forecast

14

1. REQUIREMENTS FOR WIND POWER

PLANTS IN TRANSMISSION NETWORKS
There are several issues should be
taken into consideration in grid
integration
of
wind
turbines,
guaranteeing a stable, profitable
and highly qualitative supply of
wind energy :

1.Wind turbines have to be able to

remain
in
operation
without
reducing performance and without
time limits even with considerable

2. If voltage dips occur due to grid

problems, wind turbines have to
remain connected to the grid for a
defined period of time.

3. Short-circuit current power feed-in

may be requested during a grid fault.
Depending on the grid, the turbine
has to be able to feed in primarily
reactive
power
to the grid.
4. active
Abruptor
grid
frequency
changes
should
not cause the wind turbine to shut
down.

5. During a failure and while a grid fault

is being cleared, reactive power
absorption by wind generators is
restricted or not permissible at all.
6. After a fault has been remedied, a
wind farm should resume power feed
as quickly as possible within a
maximum
time range.
7.specified
Wind farms
should
be able to
operate with reduced power output
with no time restrictions.

8. For coordinated load distribution

in the ride, the increase in power
output
(power
gradient),
for
example when the wind farm is
starting, should be able to be
restricted in accordance with the
grid
operator's
9. Wind
farms specifications.
have to be able to
contribute reserve energy within
the
grid.
If
grid
frequency
increases, the power output of a
wind farm should be reduced.

10. If necessary, wind farms should be

able to contribute to maintaining
voltage stability in the grid by
supplying or absorbing reactive
power with no time restrictions.
Dynamic criteria to maintain grid
stability
met.be able to be
11.
Wind must
farmsbemust
integrated into the grid control
system for remote monitoring and
control of all components in the
grid

2. CHALLENGES FOR GRID

CONNECTION OF LARGE WIND
FARMS AND LESSONES LEARNED

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

In order to accommodate and safely

operate a high level of variable and
uncontrollable wind power generation
on power system, many challenges
on both wind power transmission
technologies
and transmission gird operation arise.
These include:
Fault ride through requirements;
System
frequency
and
frequency
response requirements;
Transmission
system
voltage
and
reactive power capability requirements;
Wind power forecasts requirements.
Remote operation requirements.

2.1 Fault (low voltage) ride through (FRT)

requirements.

The large increase in the installed wind

capacity
in
transmission systems necessitates that wind
generation remains in operation in the event
of network disturbances.
For this reason, grid codes issued during the
last years invariably demand that wind farms
(especially those connected to HV grids)
must withstand voltage dips to a certain
percentage of the nominal voltage (down to
0% in some cases) and for a specified
duration.
Such requirements are known as Fault Ride
Through (FRT) or Low Voltage Ride Through
(LVRT) and they are described by a voltage
vs.
time
characteristic,
denoting
the
minimum required immunity of the wind
power station.

All LBRT requirements sited in the

different grid code. The requirement
depend on specific characteristics of
each power system and the protection
employed , so they deviate significantly
from each other.

An example from Ireland represent the

response of one grid-connected double feed
induction
generator
(DFIG)-wind
power
station (WPS) during a 3-phase fault on an
adjacent 110 kV line resulting in a 30%
voltage dip at the CCP (note that the WPS still
connected with the grid).
This particular WPS has separately installed
capacitor banks that support voltage at
common coupling point (CCP) and enhance
WPS FRT capability. This WPS also stayed
connected for 70% voltage dip at CCP. For a
high wind penetration scenario, if the wind
power plant is removed from the generation
pool during the slightest fault event, it may
induce
the
cascading
effect
commonly
associated with a pre-blackout event.

2.2 Voltage and frequency

operating range
Wind farms must be capable of
operating continuously within the
voltage and frequency variation limits
encountered in normal operation of
the system.
Further,
they
should
remain
in
operation in case of voltage and
frequency excursions outside the
normal operation limits, for a limited
time and in some cases at reduced
output power capability.

The frequency responses of some of

transmission /distribution system operator
(TSO/DSO)
connected
WPSs
during
the
tripping of one of the large units on the
system.
All TSO connected WPSs stayed connected
during the frequency excursion; while some of
the DSO connected WPSs were tripped.

Recorded under-frequency responses

of some WPS

2.3 Reactive Power Range /

Voltage Control
A common requirement is that
the wind farm shall be able to
operate with a power factor
anywhere
between
defined
leading
and
lagging
power
factors at the grid connection
point.

The decision of the working point that is

generally commanded by the grid operator.

Reactive power requirements in the UK grid code specified by National Grid

Point A is equivalent (in Mvar) to: 0.95 leading Power Factor at Rated MW output
Point B is equivalent (in Mvar) to: 0.95 lagging Power Factor at Rated MW output
Point C is equivalent (in Mvar) to: -5% of Rated MW output
Point D is equivalent (in Mvar) to: +5% of Rated MW output
Point C is equivalent (in Mvar) to: -12% of Rated MW output

2.4 Wind power forecasts

requirements.
A forecast of wind generation is an
additional input to the pre-dispatch
demand forecasting processes.
Grid Codes specify that controllable
wind farms should provide their
wind power output forecasts at
least once a day for the following
48 hours for, as an example, each
30-minute interval. A forecast
update must also be available in
National Control Center (NCC).

2.5 Remote operation

requirements.

These requirements include the feasibility

to exchange signals between WPS and TSO.
Among the signals that WPS should make
available to the TSOs remote terminal
units (RTU) are:

1. Grid connected transformer (GCT) tap

positions;
2. Voltage at the GCT low voltage terminals;
3. Active and reactive power output at the LV
side of the GCT;
4. Voltage regulation system set-point (in kV);
5. On/Off status indications for reactive power
devices;
6. MV Circuit-breaker position indications.

Remote operation requirements.

3. THE NEED FOR WAMPAC

SCADA-systems provide only a steady
state slow picture in much longer time
intervals.
However, Synchrophasor technology in
power systems has opened up new
possibilities for better real-time
monitoring and control of system wide
area events.
These measurements can be used as
system snapshots and therefore, show
the dynamics of the power system.
32

 Synchrophasor is considered to be
the main core of Real Time Wide
Area Monitoring, Protection and
Control (RT WAMPAC)
The Synchrophasors system is
designed to operate in parallel
with the existing SCADA/EMS
system and maximizes the mutual
benefits in power system RT WAM
PAC.
The new system of RT WAM PAC

The new system of RT WAM PAC fills the

coordination and speed gaps between the
very fast dynamic local protection systems
and the slow static SCADA/EMS systems .

Example

Remote wind generation is transmitting power over a simplified crosscountry two-terminal line.
Each end is monitored by a phasor measurement ( PM) unit and
sending time-synchronized measurement data to the master station in
order to visualize the relative phase angle and frequency variations
between the source and load

35

CONCLUSIONS
WP differs from the traditional power
generation sources because of its
intermittent varying nature. WP imposes
many technical requirements and
challenges of different aspects.
The fast growing penetration of the WP
within the existing grids has to be faced
by adding new equipments and
technologies to adapt the grid capabilities
36

CONCLUSIONS (cont.)
New Grid Code requirements are necessary.
New philosophy and tools for the protection
and control strategy of the grids utilizing
phasor measurement
( PM )has to be
developed and applied
The relatively fast performance of the closed
control loops using synchrophasor data via fast
and robust communication permit facing the
effect of the intermittent and variable nature of
the WPS. This can be achieved by fast-acting
equipment such as SVC, HVDC, FACTS, PSS.
37