Prof Hans B. PĂĽttgen, Professor and Senior Director at the Energy Research Institute @ NTU, addresses the panelists at the Renewables Integration and Micro-grids roundtable at SIEW 2014.
By Cheong Cui Wen
The growth in renewable energy – an intermittent source in the case of solar and wind – adds complexity to the design of micro and main grid systems, experts said on Thursday at a roundtable discussion at Singapore International Energy Week 2014.
Microgrids offer a platform to test new technologies given the emergence of real-time pricing of energy and can provide electricity to people living in remote areas as connections to the main transmission grid may take several years to complete, they said.
“There is no one-size-fits-all kind of system,” said by Markson Tang, executive director of Daily Life Renewable Energy.
That thought was echoed by Laurent Schmitt, vice president of innovation and strategy at Alstom Grids, who said: “Each microgrid has specific business models”.
Mario Paolone, the director of Distributed Electric Systems Laboratory, noted that the long-term volatility of renewables is an issue for main grid operators. In Germany, he said, seasonal volatility means that the actual energy provided by solar and wind sources fluctuates from zero to 48 percent of the total installed capacity.
On the issue of maintaining frequency and voltage levels, Paolone said he is not convinced that the existing approach of forecasting, dispatch and scheduling of reserves can continue. Besides local energy storage and demand response, he said, applying “explicit control of power set-points is an optimal way to do so”.
About Singapore International Energy Week (www.siew.gov.sg)
The 7th annual SIEW 2014 is the foremost platform for top policymakers, energy practitioners and commentators to discuss energy issues, strategies and solutions. SIEW brings together a robust line-up of world's leading conferences, exhibitions, roundtables and networking events to provide insights and perspectives on the emerging trends and innovations across the energy spectrum of oil & gas, clean and renewable energy, and energy infrastructure financing – in one week, one location. Please visit www.siew.gov.sg for further information.