Electricity Industry Operation and Renewable Curtailment
Duration
Place of Work
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Project Overlook
The project focuses on understanding the causes, impacts, and potential solutions for renewable energy curtailment in Australia's electricity industry.
The research specifically examines curtailment patterns in South Australia (SA) and Queensland (QLD) through quantitative and qualitative analysis.
What is Curtailment?
Curtailment happens when renewable energy generation is reduced or stopped, even though the energy could be generated. This usually occurs because:
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- Network Curtailment: Transmission infrastructure can’t export excess energy.
- Economic Curtailment: Market prices fall too low, and renewable energy production is reduced to stabilize price.
- Frequency Curtailment: To maintain grid frequency stability when renewable output fluctuates.
Purpose of the Paper
The paper aims to:
- Analyze patterns of curtailment in South Australia and Queensland.
- Identify the economic losses caused by curtailment.
- Propose solutions to mitigate curtailment and ensure better integration of renewables into the grid.
Methodology
- Data Collection: 5-minute interval data from March 2022–2023 on renewable generation, curtailment, spot prices, and interconnector flow.
- Macro and Micro Analysis:
- Macro Analysis: Examines annual curtailment trends and economic impact.
- Micro Analysis: Focuses on specific days to observe how curtailment evolves due to demand, generation, and grid constraints.
Proposed Solutions
- Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to store excess energy and sell it during high-price periods.
- Building New Transmission Infrastructure to reduce network constraints.
- Synchronous Condensers for voltage and frequency stability.
- Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Managed EV Charging to reduce curtailment by using EVs as grid assets.
Conclusion
The paper concludes that reducing curtailment is critical for improving renewable energy integration and ensuring the economic viability of wind and solar projects. Strategic planning and investment in grid infrastructure, storage technologies, and advanced grid management systems are essential for achieving Australia’s Net-Zero target by 2050.
DISCLAIMER
All projects showcased on this website are academic projects completed as part of coursework, research, or personal learning. These are not commercial projects affiliated with any company or organization.
Softwares Used
Tableau
Collaborators
Moonpanha Sen
Langchen Zhu