Abstract – Challenges of Integrating Renewable Energy Sources to Weak Transmission Grids

Renewable generation including wind power plants are integrated to the power system using power electronic based converters. The converter based generation shows vastly different dynamic characteristics compared to the traditional synchronous machine based generation. Since the generator dynamic characteristic is a dominant factor in the overall system dynamic response and dynamic stability, large-scale wind integration will present new technical challenges from a power system stability point of view. In order to facilitate the continued growth of wind and other forms of renewable resource based generation, the challenges presented by the power electronic converter based generation must be well understood and potential mitigation options should be identified. These challenges are more prevalent when the renewable resources are added to areas where the transmission network is ‘weak’. The speaker will discuss some of the common grid interconnection challenges experienced over the past 5 years, as well as discuss potential mitigation options.