Showing papers on "Grid parity published in 2004"

Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems

Abstract: Preface.1 Basic Electric and Magnetic Circuits.1.1 Introduction to Electric Circuits.1.2 Definitions of Key Electrical Quantities.1.3 Idealized Voltage and Current Sources.1.4 Electrical Resistance.1.5 Capacitance.1.6 Magnetic Circuits.1.7 Inductance.1.8 Transformers.2 Fundamentals of Electric Power.2.1 Effective Values of Voltage and Current.2.2 Idealized Components Subjected to Sinusoidal Voltages.2.3 Power Factor.2.4 The Power Triangle and Power Factor Correction.2.5 Three-Wire, Single-Phase Residential Wiring.2.6 Three-Phase Systems.2.7 Power Supplies.2.8 Power Quality.3 The Electric Power Industry.3.1 The Early Pioneers: Edison, Westinghouse, and Insull.3.2 The Electric Utility Industry Today.3.3 Polyphase Synchronous Generators.3.4 Carnot Efficiency for Heat Engines.3.5 Steam-Cycle Power Plants.3.6 Combustion Gas Turbines.3.7 Combined-Cycle Power Plants.3.8 Gas Turbines and Combined-Cycle Cogeneration.3.9 Baseload, Intermediate and Peaking Power Plants.3.10 Transmission and Distribution.3.11 The Regulatory Side of Electric Power.3.12 The Emergence of Competitive Markets.4 Distributed Generation.4.1 Electricity Generation in Transition.4.2 Distributed Generation with Fossil Fuels.4.3 Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Technologies.4.4 Biomass for Electricity.4.5 Micro-Hydropower Systems.4.6 Fuel Cells.4.6.7 Electrical Characteristics of Real Fuel Cells.4.6.8 Types of Fuel Cells.4.6.9 Hydrogen Production.5 Economics of Distributed Resources.5.1 Distributed Resources (DR).5.2 Electric Utility Rate Structures.5.3 Energy Economics.5.4 Energy Conservation Supply Curves.5.5 Combined Heat and Power (CHP).5.6 Cooling, Heating, and Cogeneration.5.7 Distributed Benefits.5.8 Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) and Demand-Side Management (DSM).6 Wind Power Systems.6.1 Historical Development of Wind Power.6.2 Types of Wind Turbines.6.3 Power in the Wind.6.4 Impact of Tower Height.6.5 Maximum Rotor Efficiency.6.6 Wind Turbine Generators.6.7 Speed Control for Maximum Power.6.8 Average Power in the Wind.6.9 Simple Estimates of Wind Turbine Energy.6.10 Specific Wind Turbine Performance Calculations.6.11 Wind Turbine Economics.7 The Solar Resource.7.1 The Solar Spectrum.7.2 The Earth's Orbit.7.3 Altitude Angle of the Sun at Solar Noon.7.4 Solar Position at any Time of Day.7.5 Sun Path Diagrams for Shading Analysis.7.6 Solar Time and Civil (Clock) Time.7.7 Sunrise and Sunset.7.8 Clear Sky Direct-Beam Radiation.7.9 Total Clear Sky Insolation on a Collecting Surface.7.10 Monthly Clear-Sky Insolation.7.11 Solar Radiation Measurements.7.12 Average Monthly Insolation.8 Photovoltaic Materials and Electrical Characteristics.8.1 Introduction.8.2 Basic Semiconductor Physics.8.3 A Generic Photovoltaic Cell.8.4 From Cells to Modules to Arrays.8.5 The PV I -V Curve Under Standard Test Conditions (STC).8.6 Impacts of Temperature and Insolation on I -V Curves.8.7 Shading impacts on I-V curves.8.8 Crystalline Silicon Technologies.8.9 Thin-Film Photovoltaics.9 Photovoltaic Systems.9.1 Introduction to the Major Photovoltaic System Types.9.2 Current-Voltage Curves for Loads.9.3 Grid-Connected Systems.9.4 Grid-Connected PV System Economics.9.5 Stand-Alone PV Systems.9.6 PV-Powered Water Pumping.APPENDIX A: Useful Conversion Factors.APPENDIX B: Sun-Path Diagrams.APPENDIX C: Hourly Clear-Sky Insolation Tables.APPENDIX D: Monthly Clear-Sky Insolation Tables.APPENDIX E: Solar Insolation Tables byCity.APPENDIX F: Maps of Solar Insolation.Index.

On the global and regional potential of renewable energy sources

Abstract: In this thesis, the central research question is: what can be the contribution of renewable energy sources to the present and future world and regional energy supply system The focus is on wind, solar PV and biomass energy (energy crops) for electricity generation For the assessment of the economic potential, we construct cost-supply curves As the economic potential also depends on the way renewables are integrated in the electricity system, we also explore the overall costs of wind electricity with increasing penetration levels of the installed wind capacity into the system The potentials of solar, wind and biomass electricity are analysed at a global and regional level, for seventeen world-regions similar as used in the IMAGE 22 model to make future use of the results for scenario analysis with the IMAGE 22 model possible The IMAGE 22 model (Integrated Model to Assess the Global Environment) is developed at the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)) This model is one of those used for the construction and evaluation of SRES energy scenarios by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) In summary, we can conclude that the renewable electricity sources studied in this thesis have a potential to generate several times more electricity than the present electricity demand at costs in the range of present electricity costs Solar PV has the most significant technical potential, but is at present not available at competitive costs in grid connected options In the longer term, costs of solar PV may come down at cost levels comparable to conventional electricity, especially in sunny areas The costs depend in the case of biomass electricity strongly on the technological development of the agricultural sector, on the labour wages, the capital-labour ratio and the land rental costs Costs of wind electricity are already nearly competitive and the wind electricity sector has increased considerably the last decades However, to what extent the overall costs of wind electricity can decrease further with increasing penetration levels, depends amongst others on the available storage capacity and interconnection of the system The spatially explicit calculations done in this study provide interesting new insights concerning the potential of renewable energy sources This thesis considers on a grid-cell level, next to climatic characteristics, also characteristics of land-use and soil quality, when estimating the future potential of renewables In particular for the assessment of the future potential of biomass energy, the demand for agricultural land is of high importance as these are expected to be planted at abandoned agricultural land Land area required to generate the wind electricity potential depends on social factors, but default values in this thesis indicate that to generate 6 times the present electricity production about 11 Gha is needed, about the size of China To generate about 23 times the present electricity production with solar PV, an area of 023 Gha is needed, about 20% of China To generate biomass derived electricity equal to 5 times the present electricity production, in the A1 scenario (highest potential) at abandoned agricultural area, about 13 Gha is needed, about 120% of the area of China

System operation with a significant wind power penetration

Abstract: With increasing levels of wind generation capacity on electricity systems, system operators will need to adapt their system operation policy to facilitate the efficient and cost effective integration of wind power. This paper illustrate the relative merits of adopting different system operational approaches on a system with significant wind power capacity. The impact on conventional generation, reserve levels and emissions are assessed and the implications are discussed. The illustrations show that an operational approach, which incorporates wind forecast information, while considering an increased need for reserve due to wind power, results in a more efficient integration of the wind capacity.

Method and system for predicting solar energy production

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for simulating and forecasting solar energy production on the basis of collected meteorological data, irradiance levels estimated from these collected meteorological data and the physical parameters of the solar energy generating system. The forecast can be based on the one-week meteorological forecast in order to predict solar energy production in the near future. Simulation and prediction can be made for whole geographical regions such that the net electrical energy demand of the region can be determined or forecast. On the basis of such data, electrical energy on a short-term market can be bargained and energy sales and purchases can be hedged.

Sustainable Electricity Generation with Solar Updraft Towers

Abstract: Present electricity generation using fossil fuels is damaging the environment and is not sustainable, whereas solar radiation is an inexhaustible source of energy. Harnessed at reasonable costs, it...

Don't let the sun go down on PV [photovoltaic systems]

Abstract: In response to global issues for the generation and delivery of electrical power, photovoltaic (PV) and other renewable energy technologies are gaining acceptance as a way of maintaining and improving living standards without harming the environment PV could help mitigate energy crises by reducing peak demand and securing the delivery of power in congested locations by decentralizing the power generation This article shows the challenges of photovoltaic in restructured power systems PV technologies could provide more secure mode of operation for power system during peak load hours when the systems are constrained and locational marginal prices are high

Apparatus and method for storing thermal energy and generating electricity

Abstract: Because the efficiency of the thermal energy storage technology is inherently restricted, its beneficial use is limited to very particular economic boundary conditions, i.e. a large difference between the value of electricity going into the unit and the value of electricity coming out of the unit. With the reduction in wind power equipment prices and the cost of fossil fuels and/or their combustion products this is occasionally the case for wind power. Wind is a free fuel and the value of wind power when there is too little load demand is essentially zero, and the value of wind power when there is demand is considerable indeed. Under these circumstances, a combination of electrothermal energy storage and combustion of (fossil) fuels as an auxiliary heat source provides for a cost efficient system for storing energy and an economical way of generating electricity.

Benefits for Wind Energy in Electricity Markets from Using Short Term Wind Power Prediction Tools; A Simulation Study

Abstract: One of the characteristics of wind energy, from the grid point of view, is its non-dispatchability, i.e. generation cannot be ordered, hence integration in electrical networks may be difficult. Short-term wind power prediction-tools could make this integration easier, either by their use by the grid System Operator, or by promoting the participation of wind farms in the electricity markets and using prediction tools to make their bids in the market. In this paper, the importance of a short-term wind power-prediction tool for the participation of wind energy systems in electricity markets is studied. Simulations, according to the current Spanish market rules, have been performed to the production of different wind farms, with different degrees of accuracy in the prediction tool. It may be concluded that income from participation in electricity markets is increased using a short-term wind power prediction-tool of average accuracy. This both marginally increases income and also reduces the impact on system o...

Solar Energy Research and Development Achievements in Israel and Their Practical Significance

Abstract: This paper reviews the pioneering efforts done in Israel over the last 50 years to explore different directions of developing the solar energy resource as an alternative energy supply. An early start included the improvement of solar collectors for heating water for domestic uses. This was followed by low-temperature Organic Rankine Cycle turbines to supply electricity for remote locations, and then the development and commercialization of the SEGS Solar Thermal power plants. Current research directions are described, including high temperature Solar Tower power systems, production of ‘‘solar fuels’’ at high temperature to enable storage and transportation of solar energy, photovoltaic materials and photovoltaic systems development, solar absorption cooling, and the bold idea of large ‘‘Energy Towers’’ to produce electric energy from cooling of hot dry desert air. The paper concludes that additional efforts in Israel and abroad to continue developing and deploying of solar energy systems, having benevolent influence on the environment, should continue. @DOI: 10.1115/1.1758246#

Solar energy applications in Turkey

Abstract: Solar energy technologies offer a clean, renewable and domestic energy source, and are essential components of a sustainable energy future Turkey lays in a sunny belt between 36° and 42° N latitudes and is geographically well situated with respect to solar energy potential The objective of the present study is to investigate many aspects of solar energy applications in Turkey, giving the brief historical development and Turkey's solar energy potential and consumption The following applications were taken into consideration: solar water heating, steam generation, solar cooker, solar drying, solar houses, and photovoltaics (PVs) In the early 1960s, solar energy was realized as an alternative energy in Turkey, while in the mid-1970s, solar thermal utilization technologies began gaining the high attention of universities, the government and, the industry, and have been developed at an increasing speed Residential and industrial consumption of solar energy in Turkey started in 1986 and 1988, respectively

Economic and Environmental Evaluation of Residential Fixed Solar Photovoltaic Systems in the United States

Abstract: While the majority of electricity generated in the United States comes from fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, a comparatively small amount comes from renewable sources such as solar and hydropower. As global environmental issues become a greater concern, more generation may need to come from renewable sources. One often-mentioned alternative is residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, which could be an especially attractive source of energy in the southwestern United States, where high amounts of solar radiation are available. In this paper, we compare the life-cycle costs of current solar photovoltaic technology in Arizona versus New York to highlight the relevant issues related to the economic and environmental renewable energy decision-making process. We find that solar PV systems alone are currently inferior to grid electricity across a wide range of scenarios, including prospective technology improvements. Net metering with PV systems, where customers sell solar electricity to the grid and buy back their demand, may be competitive given real-time electricity pricing. Using PV systems in remote systems looks to be a viable alternative.

The International Adoption of Photovoltaic Energy Conversion Is Japan a Lead Market

Abstract: This paper explores on the basis of a case study on photovoltaic energy conversion (PV) whether countries can actively create a lead market for new technology. Solar energy conversion has fascinated people and politicians as an alternative to oil and nuclear energy. Since the discovery of photovoltaic cells that directly convert solar irradiation into electricity it is expected that the mass market for photovoltaic energy conversion will emerge soon. With lots of sunny, at and vacant regions and an electricity-hungry and high-income population, the United States looked to be the natural lead market for solar energy. Yet, two countries that are less favorably endowed with solar energy, Japan and Germany, embarked on establishing a mass market for solar energy conversion through high public subsidies. This paper discusses the prospect of these two countries to set off a bandwagon among all other nations? Reviewing the traditional mechanisms of the international diffusion of innovations, the tentative answer given in this paper is that while local markets have been created, this has not ensured the international success of PV. For its international success, it would be essential to demonstrate that the adoption of PV systems is continuing without subsidies. With the energy production cost of solar cells unlikely to come close to that of conventionally generated electricity in the foreseeable future, the United States looks like the test market for solar energy, where the fate of PV will be answered.

Optimizing Benefits from wind power participation in electricity market using advanced tools for wind power forecasting and uncertainty assessment

Abstract: Short-term wind power forecasting tools are required to support a comptetitive participaton of wind power in electricity markets againts conventional energy sources ...

On limits for wind power generation

Abstract: The amount of wind power in the world increases fast. The background for this development is improved technology, decreased costs for the units and an increased concern of the environmental problems of competing technologies such as fossil fuels. For the future it is now interesting to evaluate where the limits are for wind power generation, and which points are crucial. Since there is no power from the wind when there is no breeze, the customers have to get power from other sources during these situations. The question then is whether it is the power system that sets the limits or it is the environmental consequences or the economy? In this paper these questions will be discussed with focus on power system integration. The results from several case studies are also presented.

Environmental cost analysis and research of different power plants

Abstract: Under the conditions of free electricity market, the environmental cost will be included in the cost of electricity generation and become an important factor in the market competitiveness of power enterprises. In order to compare the influence of the environmental cost on the electricity price among different types of power plants , the theory of environmental economics is applied in this paper to estimate the environmental cost of coal-fired power plant, natural-gas-fired power plant and nuclear power plant.

Apparatus for storing thermal energy and generating electricity

Abstract: Because the efficiency of the thermal energy storage technology is inherently restricted, its beneficial use is limited to very particular economic boundary conditions, namely a large difference between the value of electricity going into the unit and the value of electricity coming out of the unit. With the reduction in wind power equipment prices and the cost of fossil fuels and/or their combustion products this is the case for wind power. Wind is a free fuel and the value of wind power when there is too little load demand is essentially zero, and the value of wind power when there is demand is considerable indeed. Under these circumstances, electrothermal energy storage in a solid heat storage medium provides for a cost efficient system for storing energy and an economical way of generating electricity therefrom.

Generation reliability for small isolated power systems entirely based on renewable sources

Abstract: This paper investigates generation reliability for power systems entirely based on renewable energy sources. Stochastic models for solar and wind power are used together with simpler models of small scale hydro power and storage. The load model is deterministic and based on industrial activities with a maximum load of 28 kW. 38 different cases with different supply configurations are simulated using Monte-Carlo simulation. It can be concluded that a system with only wind power has a higher availability than a system with only solar power. However solar power is more regular which allows for a more efficient use of storage. To obtain a high availability large storage capability is needed or a combination of sources.

Electric Power Generation from Solar Photovoltaic Technology: Is It Marketable in Pakistan?

Abstract: Solar photovoltaic systems are prohibitively expensive in terms of installation costs. Power from them is also available intermittently—only when energy from the sun is available. On the other hand, PV systems are free of the ever-rising costs of input fuel. They also incur much less operation and maintenance costs and are supposed to have a longer lifetime than, for example, a fossil fuel power plant. Thus using solar-PV power looks uneconomical in the short term, but may be profitable in the long term. It is, therefore, interesting to identify the factors that can make investment in solar PV power generation acceptable. This paper carries out a financial analysis of installing a 10 MW solar photovoltaic power generation plant for sale of electricity to a grid. It compares the levelised cost of this mode of energy generation as compared to a fossil fuel plant. It also calculates the cost of electricity generation and tariff for power from this plant. It then identifies the factors that can make the investment in a grid-scale solar PV plant more favourable than investment in other conventional and non-renewable sources.

Levelized Costs for Nuclear, Gas and Coal for Electricity, under the Mexican Scenario

Abstract: In the case of new nuclear power stations, it is necessary to pay special attention to the financial strategy that will be applied, time of construction, investment cost, and the discount and return rate. The levelized cost quantifies the unitary cost of the electricity (the kWh) generated during the lifetime of the nuclear power plant; and allows the immediate comparison with the cost of other alternative technologies. The present paper shows levelized cost for different nuclear technologies and it provides comparison among them as well as with gas and coal electricity plants. For the calculations we applied our own methodology to evaluate the levelized cost considering investment, fuel and operation and maintenance costs, making assumptions for the Mexican market, and taking into account the gas prices projections. The study also shows comparisons using different discount rates (5% and 10%), and some comparisons between our results and an OECD 1998 study. The results are i n good agreement and shows that nuclear option is cost competitive in Mexico on the basis of levelized costs.

Solar Power from Space - Validation of Options for Europe

Abstract: Solar power plants are among promising long-term energy options of the 21 century, covering humanities ever increasing energy need in a sustainable way free of greenhouse gas emission. Terrestrial solar power is one of the fastest growing energy sectors with high growth rates sustained over more than a decade and very promising forecasts. Since 30 years the idea of a large solar power plant in Earth orbit, transmitting energy to Earth-bound receiver sites enjoys periodic attention from energy and space entities. All studies concluded the principal technical feasibility of the concepts and gradually improved their power to mass ratio. No substantial development efforts were undertaken however since with current technology space generated electricity costs would still be too high, upfront costs prohibitive and the launcher sector not mature enough to reduce e/kg to orbit costs by the required order of magnitude. In the past space concepts were mainly compared to traditional energy systems. Based on this background, the Advanced Concepts Team (ACT) at the European Space Agency started a three-phased programme in 2003. The first phase of the programme, the Validation Phase, focussed on a comparison of space solar power plant with comparable terrestrial solutions on the one hand and the assessment of the potential of SPS for space exploration and space application on the other. The focus was mainly on Europe and should give an independent technical answer to the seemingly primitive question: “Why put power plants into space when there is so much sun in southern Europe and especially in the close-by North-African Sahara desert?”. Space concepts were compared to terrestrial solutions based on equally advanced technology and equal economic conditions for the timeframe 2020/30 in terms of energy payback times, final e/kWh generation costs, adaptability to different energy scenarios, reliability and risk.

Tracing nodal market power using proportional tree method

Abstract: Market power has come to power system from economic in conjunction with deregulation. Market power problems are more complicated in an electric market than those in other markets due to the specific properties of electricity. The assessment of market power is an important aspect of electric market analysis and operation. This paper addresses nodal market power in power markets. A proportional tree method (PTM), which is used to determine the contribution of an individual generator to loads, has been applied to determine the nodal-must-run-share (NMRS). The IEEE-RTS is analyzed to illustrate the proposed technique.

Development prospects for the very large-scale photovoltaic power generation and its electric power systems in china

Abstract: Solar energy photovoltaic power generation is hopeful to be applied in a large amount and possesses an important position in the future energy sources. In this paper, the electric load demand and the energy structure of power generation in the mid 21st century are forecasted, the energy bases for Very Large Scale Photovoltaic (VLS-PV) power generation are preliminarily selected, the operation characteristics of PVpower generation and the adaptability of electric power grid for the VLS-PV power generation are analyzed, the schemes for transmitting large amount of PV power and the economic and technical bottlenecks for applying VLS-PV power generation are discussed. Finally, the measures and suggestions for developing VLS-PV power generation in China are presented.

A viable grid-connected PV-ECS system with load leveling function using a day-ahead weather forecast

Abstract: A small grid-connected distributed power generating system based on PV panel and ECS has been developed. The system can produce power by PV panel, store energy during lower demand of load and supply the stored energy to load during higher demand. It takes a fixed amount of power from grid line and supplies to load by day and charges the ECS at night to perform the load leveling function. A procedure to estimate the output power of PV panel has also been developed by calculating solar radiation. To find out the weather dependent characteristic of the PV panel, its output in different weather conditions have been measured and compared with the estimated output. Using this weather dependant characteristic and a day-ahead weather forecast, we can estimate the output power of the PV panel in any weather condition. A simulation program has also been developed to set the optimum value of the power taken from grid line.

A grid-connected PV-ECS system with load leveling function taking into account solar energy estimation

Abstract: In this work, a small grid-connected distributed generation system with load leveling function has been developed using PV panel and ECS. The system can produce power by PV panel, store energy from grid line and PV panel when the load demand is low, and finally supply the stored energy to load during the peak demand. To level the daily load properly, it is necessary to know how much power the PV panel will generate tomorrow. Hence a procedure has also been devised to estimate the output power of PV panel by calculating solar radiation. The accuracy of the calculated soar radiation and PV output power has been verified by practically measured data. Everyday we have to declare, how much power will be taken from the grid line tomorrow, for proper functioning of the system. With an aim to set the optimum value of grid power, to level the load properly and to use 100% output power of PV panel, a simulation program has also been developed. Finally the performance of our system has been studied for several days in different weather conditions, using the estimated output of the PV panel and the simulation program.