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At least 19 records

Monitoring and control requirement definition study for Dispersed Storage and Generation (DSG). Volume 5, appendix D: Cost-benefit considerations for providing dispersed storage and generation for electric utilities

Cost benefit considerations are extremely important in obtaining the acceptance of dispersed storage and generation (DSG) by the electric utilities. These considerations involved somewhat different economic analyses depending on whether the generation is utility, customer, or combined ownership. It is necessary to get acceptance of more easily understood methods for evaluating the economics of DSG because much of the benefits of DSG may accrue in the generation and transmission portions of the utility system while the costs tend to be centered in the distribution portion of that system. The influence of factors, such as reliability, capital costs, and other economic measures were also investigated.

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Dispersed storage and generation case studies

Three installations utilizing separate dispersed storage and generation (DSG) technologies were investigated. Each of the systems is described in costs and control. Selected institutional and environmental issues are discussed, including life cycle costs. No unresolved technical, environmental, or institutional problems were encountered in the installations. The wind and solar photovoltaic DSG were installed for test purposes, and appear to be presently uneconomical. However, a number of factors are decreasing the cost of DSG relative to conventional alternatives, and an increased DSG penetration level may be expected in the future.

Bahrami, K.↗

Monitoring and control requirement definition study for Dispersed Storage and Generation (DSG), volume 1

Twenty-four functional requirements were prepared under six categories and serve to indicate how to integrate dispersed storage generation (DSG) systems with the distribution and other portions of the electric utility system. Results indicate that there are no fundamental technical obstacles to prevent the connection of dispersed storage and generation to the distribution system. However, a communication system of some sophistication is required to integrate the distribution system and the dispersed generation sources for effective control. The large-size span of generators from 10 KW to 30 MW means that a variety of remote monitoring and control may be required. Increased effort is required to develop demonstration equipment to perform the DSG monitoring and control functions and to acquire experience with this equipment in the utility distribution environment.

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Concepts for design of an energy management system incorporating dispersed storage and generation

New forms of generation based on renewable resources must be managed as part of existing power systems in order to be utilized with maximum effectiveness. Many of these generators are by their very nature dispersed or small, so that they will be connected to the distribution part of the power system. This situation poses new questions of control and protection, and the intermittent nature of some of the energy sources poses problems of scheduling and dispatch. Under the assumption that the general objectives of energy management will remain unchanged, the impact of dispersed storage and generation on some of the specific functions of power system control and its hardware are discussed.

Kirkham, H.↗

Monitoring and control requirement definition study for Dispersed Storage and Generation (DSG). Volume 3, appendix B: State of the art, trends, and potential growth of selected DSG technologies

Present and future relatively small (30 MW) energy systems, such as solar thermal electric, photovoltaic, wind, fuel cell, storage battery, hydro, and cogeneration can help achieve national energy goals and can be dispersed throughout the distribution portion of an electric utility system. Based on current projections, it appears that dispersed storage and generation (DSG) electrical energy will comprise only a small portion, from 4 to 10 percent, of the national total by the end of this century. In general, the growth potential for DSG seems favorable in the long term because of finite fossil energy resources and increasing fuel prices. Recent trends, especially in the institutional and regulatory fields, favor greater use of the DSGs for the future.

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Monitoring and control requirement definition study for Dispersed Storage and Generation (DSG). Volume 2, appendix A: Selected DSG technologies and their general control requirements

A consistent approach was sought for both hardware and software which will handle the monitoring and control necessary to integrate a number of different DSG technologies into a common distribution dispatch network. It appears that the control of each of the DSG technologies is compatible with a supervisory control method of operation that lends itself to remote control from a distribution dispatch center.

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Monitoring and control requirement definition study for Dispersed Storage and Generation (DSG). Volume 4, appendix C: Identification from utility visits of present and future approaches to integration of DSG into distribution networks

Visits to four utilities concerned with the use of DSG power sources on their distribution networks yielded useful impressions of present and future approaches to the integration of DSGs into electrical distribution network. Different approaches to future utility systems with DSG are beginning to take shape. The new DSG sources will be in decentralized locations with some measure of centralized control. The utilities have yet to establish firmly the communication and control means or their organization. For the present, the means for integrating the DSGs and their associated monitoring and control equipment into a unified system have not been decided.

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Effects of voltage control in utility interactive dispersed storage and generation systems

When a small generator is connected to the distribution system, the voltage at the point of interconnection is determined largely by the system and not the generator. The effect on the generator, on the load voltage and on the distribution system of a number of different voltage control strategies in the generator is examined. Synchronous generators with three kinds of exciter control are considered, as well as induction generators and dc/ac inverters, with and without capacitor compensation. The effect of varying input power during operation (which may be experienced by generators based on renewable resources) is explored, as well as the effect of connecting and disconnecting the generator at ten percent of its rated power. Operation with a constant slightly lagging factor is shown to have some advantages.

Kirkham, H.↗

A preliminary estimate of future communications traffic for the electric power system

Diverse new generator technologies using renewable energy, and to improve operational efficiency throughout the existing electric power systems are presented. A description of a model utility and the information transfer requirements imposed by incorporation of dispersed storage and generation technologies and implementation of more extensive energy management are estimated. An example of possible traffic for an assumed system, and an approach that can be applied to other systems, control configurations, or dispersed storage and generation penetrations is provided.

Barnett, R. M.↗

Are state renewable feed-in tariff initiatives truly throttled by Federal statutes after the FERC California decision?

For the last few years, several local and state governments have adopted ''feed-in tariffs'' to promote development of dispersed, small-scale renewable generation through incentive pricing. Most FITs are intended to stimulate development of small solar or renewable energy facilities. In July, FERC issued a decision restating that the Federal Power Act and PURPA 210, not state (or local) legislation, govern the price that local utilities may pay under FITs. (author)

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

A Green Prison: The Santa Rita Jail Campus Microgrid

A large microgrid project is nearing completion at Alameda County’s twenty-two-year-old 45 ha 4,000-inmate Santa Rita Jail, about 70 km east of San Francisco. Often described as a green prison, it has a considerable installed base of distributed energy resources (DER) including an eight-year old 1.2 MW PV array, a five-year old 1 MW fuel cell with heat recovery, and considerable efficiency investments. A current US$14 M expansion adds a 2 MW-4 MWh Li-ion battery, a static disconnect switch, and various controls upgrades. During grid blackouts, or when conditions favor it, the Jail can now disconnect from the grid and operate as an island, using the on-site resources described together with its back-up diesel generators. In other words, the Santa Rita Jail is a true microgrid, or μgrid, because it fills both requirements, i.e. it is a locally controlled system, and it can operate both grid connected and islanded. The battery’s electronics includes Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology (CERTS) Microgrid technology. This enables the battery to maintain energy balance using droops without need for a fast control system.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Significance of Dynamic and Transient Analysis in the Design and Operation of Hybrid Energy Systems

Energy systems were historically designed and operated with a specific energy conversion objective, while managing loads and resources. In the recent years, the increased utilization of non-dispatchable renewable sources such as wind and solar has played a role in power quality and the reliability of power systems. In order to mitigate the risk associated with the non-dispatchable resources an integrated approach, such as Hybrid Energy Systems (HES), has to be taken, integrating the loads and resource management between the traditional thermal power plants and the non-dispatchable resources. As our electric energy becomes more diverse in its generation resources, the HES with its operational control system, its real-time view and its dynamic decisions making will become an essential part of the integrated energy systems and improve the overall grid reliability. The operational constraints of the energy sources on both the thermal power plants and the non-dispatchable resources in HES, plays a vital role in the planning and design stage. It is an established fact that the choice of energy source depends on the available natural resources and possible infrastructure. A critical component of decision-making depends on the complementary nature and controllability of the energy sources to supply the load demands with high reliability. Controllability of complex HES to achieve desired performance and flexibility is implemented via coordinated control systems while simultaneously generating electricity and other useful products such as useful heat or hydrogen. These systems are based on instrumentation, signal processing, control theory, and engineering system design. The entire HES along with the control systems are characterized by widely varying time constants. Hence, for a well-coordinated control and operation, we propose physics based modeling of the subsystems to assist in a dynamic and transient analysis. Dynamic and transient analysis in real and non-real time domain of the potential sources is capable of providing satisfactory results at the feasibility analysis stage. A simplified HES consisting of complementary energy sources is used to demonstrate the proposed approach. Suitable real time simulations to perform dynamic and transient analysis will be performed to verify results from the non-real time analysis. The role of such analyses, especially the real time dynamic and transient analysis for manual controls is elaborated. It is also discussed that faster than real time simulation will pave the future for controller rooms and hence manual control procedures. Multiple tools such as Real Time Simulator, Matlab®, Simulink®, PSCAD®, MOOSE, etc. are expected to be used for the HES analysis.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Quantifying PV power Output Variability

This paper presents a novel approach to rigorously quantify power Output Variability from a fleet of photovoltaic (PV) systems, ranging from a single central station to a set of distributed PV systems. The approach demonstrates that the relative power Output Variability for a fleet of identical PV systems (same size, orientation, and spacing) can be quantified by identifying the number of PV systems and their Dispersion Factor. The Dispersion Factor is a new variable that captures the relationship between PV Fleet configuration, Cloud Transit Speed, and the Time Interval over which variability is evaluated. Results indicate that Relative Output Variability: (1) equals the inverse of the square root of the number of systems for fully dispersed PV systems; and (2) could be further minimized for optimally-spaced PV systems. (author)

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Microgrids, virtual power plants and our distributed energy future

Opportunities for VPPs and microgrids will only increase dramatically with time, as the traditional system of building larger and larger centralized and polluting power plants by utilities charging a regulated rate of return fades. The key questions are: how soon will these new business models thrive - and who will be in the driver's seat? (author)

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

Nuclear hybrid energy infrastructure

The nuclear hybrid energy concept is becoming a reality for the US energy infrastructure where combinations of the various potential energy sources (nuclear, wind, solar, biomass, and so on) are integrated in a hybrid energy system. This paper focuses on challenges facing a hybrid system with a Small Modular Reactor at its core. The core of the paper will discuss efforts required to develop supervisory control center that collects data, supports decision-making, and serves as an information hub for supervisory control center. Such a center will also be a model for integrating future technologies and controls. In addition, advanced operations research, thermal cycle analysis, energy conversion analysis, control engineering, and human factors engineering will be part of the supervisory control center. Nuclear hybrid energy infrastructure would allow operators to optimize the cost of energy production by providing appropriate means of integrating different energy sources. The data needs to be stored, processed, analyzed, trended, and projected at right time to right operator to integrate different energy sources.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Status of wind-energy conversion

The utilization of wind energy is technically feasible as evidenced by the many past demonstrations of wind generators. The cost of energy from the wind has been high compared to fossil fuel systems. A sustained development effort is needed to obtain economical systems. The variability of the wind makes it an unreliable source on a short-term basis. However, the effects of this variability can be reduced by storage systems or connecting wind generators to fossil fuel systems, hydroelectric systems, or dispersing them throughout a large grid network. The NSF and NASA-Lewis Research Center have sponsored programs for the utilization of wind energy.

Thomas, R. L.↗

Landsat-D, about to be reality

The space and ground segments of the Landsat-D thematic mapper (TM) for remote sensing of a 185 km swath with 30 m resolution are described. Scanning the full earth once every 16 days from its 705 km sunsynchronous orbit, Landsat-D will relay its data on the ku-band through the TDRSS satellite to a ground station. The X-band will also be used to transmit data directly to foreign and domestic ground stations; the S-band will be reserved for MSS data only. Landsat-D comprises the multimission modular spacecraft and the instrument module, which features the MSS and TM, a wideband communication subsystem, a solar array, and an L-band global positioning system. Three computers on the ground provide a high degree of automation for reception, storage, retrieval, back-up, and transmission of data and commands. Additionally, a van is equipped with transportable equipment, including an antenna. Procedures followed for image generation from the MSS and TM are detailed, noting storage at Goddard until dispersal of tapes under the direction of the EROS data center.

Aepli, T. C.↗