Introduction to Grid Integration and Energy Storage for Renewable Power

Course objectives

In developing future energy strategies - particularly where renewable sources such as solar and wind hold significant shares -a number of challenges arise, driven by the dependence of power generation on natural energy variability. This course, designed like all Green Power Academy training to be accessible to commercially-minded business people, provides an excellent introduction to:

• The economics of power generation, its pricing and grid distribution
• Where and why energy storage can play a role
• The cost-benefit analyses which will determine its market growth
• The technological solutions through which it can be achieved

Agenda Details

The Business Challenges in Large-Scale, Grid-delivered Renewable Power

• Grid integration challenges for variable and intermittent renewables such as solar and wind
• The commercial importance of measures and factors such as capacity factor, dispatchability, time of supply and capacity contribution
• Understanding the impact of renewable sources on the economics and efficiencies of conventional power plants, and the grid system as a whole
• Centralised vs. distributed renewable power delivery
• Power markets, pricing and interconnection

Applications of Energy Storage

• Including: load shifting, peak shaving, power regulation and quality
• Grid balancing and demand management, including "smart grids"
• Transmission and distribution capacity planning
• Differentiating Energy vs. Power capacity requirements in different storage applications

Solutions for Energy Storage

• Understanding current and future storage options, including:
  • Pumped storage
  • CAES (compressed air energy storage)
  • Thermal storage
  • Flywheels, Capacitors& SMES
  • A multitude of battery types, including: Flow, NaS, Metal-air, Li-ion, Lead-Acid, fuel cells etc.
• Explaining the differing characteristics and appropriate applications of the various storage technologies
• Future electric transport markets and energy storage

The Economics of Renewable Power with and without Energy Storage