PV power plant is a cost-effective energy resource
31
Transcript of PV power plant is a cost-effective energy resource
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
2
Key Messages
• PV power plant is a cost-effective energy resource
• Well designed “Grid Friendly” PV plant actively stabilizes grid and enhances its reliability
• PV variability can be managed without significant impact to existing grid infrastructure through forecasting and site diversity
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
3
First Solar -- Utility Scale PV Plant Leader
Over 3.0 GW Completed or In Development ( 10MWac – 550 MWac Plants)
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
5
Variable Generation Integration Topics
Grid Stability and Reliability
Msec to Minutes
Load Balancing
Hours to Days
Power Systems Planning and Design
Years
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
6
Variable Generation Integration Topics
Grid Stability and Reliability
Concern
Learning Source: Pacific North West Laboratory, Grid Stability; The Challenges
of power grid stability. http://eioc.pnnl.gov/research/gridstability.stm
• Does not contribute to the reliability of bulk generation
• Add Grid Controls to Support Reliability & Grid Security
Milliseconds to Minutes
Milliseconds to Minutes Hours to Days Years
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
7
“Modern solar plants can now contribute to the reliability
and efficiency of grid operation by offering the following
capabilities:”
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
9
Voltage Regulation
restore voltage
Deviation detection
power output POI and set point
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
10
“Utility Scale” Active Power Control
Reduced Power
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
11
Without a Plant Level Control System
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
12
Benefit of Central Plant Level Control System
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
13
Benefit of Central Control System
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
15
Dynamic Power Factor Regulation
0.980
0.985
0.990
0.995
1.000
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
-4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10
Po
we
r Fa
cto
r
MV
AR
s
Time in Seconds
Total Reactive Power
Measured Power Factor
Commanded Power Factor
Measured Power Factor
Total Reactive Power
0.980
0.985
0.990
0.995
1.000
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
-4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10Time in Seconds
Total Reactive Power
Measured Power Factor
Power Factor Set Point
Changed from 0.98 to 1.0
Reaches 90% Steady State Value
in ~ 3.2 seconds
Inverters Change VAr
Output
Excellent Reactive Power
Dynamic Control
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
16
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Po
we
r (M
W)
Set
Po
int
(MW
)
Time (Minutes)
Power Curtailment at Different Levels
Plant Curtailment Test
Excellent Control over Active Power
Set Point Reduced
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Time (Minutes)
Power Curtailment at Different Levels
Inverters are turned
down/off to curtail output
Ramp rates between set point
changes are controlled
Set Point Increased
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
17
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Po
we
r (M
W)
Co
mm
and
ed
MW
Time (Minutes)
Stopping & Starting One Block (30MW)
Ramp Rate Controls
Plant Stop Command
Excellent Control over Active Power
Inverters are turned off in sequence;
Ramp rates are controlled
Plant Start Command
Inverters are started in sequence
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Po
we
r (M
W)
Co
mm
and
ed
MW
Time (Minutes)
Stopping & Starting One Block (30MW)
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
18
What Makes a PV Plant “Grid Friendly”?
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
19
Variable Generation Integration Topics
Load Balancing • Solar Generation is not fully
dispatchable • Adds variability & uncertainty
… complicates daily dispatch ….
• Integrate forecasting into daily operation
• Improved operating procedures - balancing area, frequent updates, ramping support
Hours to Days
Concerns
Learning
Milliseconds to Minutes Hours to Days Years
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
20
Net Demand
Source: SEC Data. 2020 Load and Generation Mix Projected @5.6% annually for illustration purposes only. FS estimate on PV contribution. Actual resource distribution likely to be different.
Time of Day (Hours)
Da
ily
Loa
d
Load (MW) Net Load Curve (MW) PV Solar
0 12 24
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
21
Time Lapse of Solar Resource in the Summer
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
22
Impact of Cloud Passage on Plant Output
Total Power Average Irradiance
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
23
Single Location
20 Bundled Locations
One-minute Global Irradiance (W/sq.m)
One-minute Global Irradiance (W/sq.m)
Aggregation Effect Between Plants Reduces Variability
Source: “Implications of Wide-Area Geographic Diversity for Short-Term Variability of Solar Power”; Andrew Mills and Ryan Wiser, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, September 2010
Source: Hoff et al. 2008
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
24
NRG/MidAmerican – Agua Caliente 290 MWac
Project Details
Yuma County
Dateland, AZ
2,400 Acres
39,000 Tons Steel
PPA – PG&E
EPC/O&M - NRG
First 2008 EPC Project
Sempra – El Dorado 10MW
North America Largest PV Plant:
Enbridge - Sarnia
80 MW
3.0
Mile
s
2.0 Miles
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
25
NextEra / GE – Desert Sunlight – 570 MWac
NRG - Agua
290 MW ac
3.1
Mile
s
3.9 Miles
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
26
Variable Generation Integration Topics
Power systems planning and design
Years
Concerns
Learning
• Variable generation requires grid flexibility
• Adopt diverse resource portfolio to increase flexibility & to reduce risks
Milliseconds to Minutes Hours to Days Years
Phoenix, AZ July 12 -- 27
Flexibility Supply Curve
Sources of Flexibility
Low
Cost
High
Cost
Study needed to determine shape of Flexibility
Supply Curve and Quantify Costs
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
28
California—20% Renewables and Growing to 33%
• Successfully integrated 20% renewables today
• Building toward 33% renewable energy
CAISO Testimony in 2010 CPUC LTPP Docket No. R.10-05-006; July 1, 2011; Exhibit 1, slide 5; trajectory scenario
Operators have managed high penetration
Others can leverage this learning
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
2006 (~10%) 2012 (20%) 2020 E (33%)
dispatchablerenewables
wind
solar
GWh
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
29
Conclusions
• Modern PV plants can contribute actively to grid stability and reliability
• PV variability can be managed without significant impact to existing grid infrastructure through site diversity and forecasting
• PV power plants offer a cost-effective energy resource
• Lessons learned to date on Renewable Integration: — Large-scale PV has been successfully integrated into grids worldwide
— No reported issues due to often cited barriers: PV variability, harmonics, DC current injection, anti-islanding failure or protection coordination
— Bulk energy storage has not been necessary for variable generation integration
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
30
Variable Generation … Key Lessons Learned
Grid Stability and Reliability
Milliseconds to Minutes
Load Balancing
Hours to Days
Power Systems Planning and Design
Years
• Add Grid Controls to Support Reliability & Grid Security
• Integrate forecasting into daily operation
• Update operating procedures - balancing area, frequent updates, ramping support
• Adopt diverse resource portfolio to reduce risks and increase flexibility
© C
op
yrig
ht
20
12
, Fir
st S
ola
r, In
c.
31
Importance of Resource Diversification
Source: “Practicing Risk Aware Electricity Regulation: What Every State Regulators Need to Know”, Ron Binz et al, A Ceres Report, April 2012.
“Including a mix of resources provides important risk management benefits … each type of resource behaves independently from others in future scenarios.”
