Optimal scheduling for dispatchable renewable energy generation

Intermittency of renewable generation entails a large amount of flexibility and spinning reserve to enable secure and stable operation of the power system. The additional imposed cost due to accommodating renewables jeopardizes the economic value of renewable energy projects. Dispatchable renewable generation can help reducing the need for flexibility and spinning reserve. The optimal scheduling unit of an energy management system (EMS) for a dispatchable hybrid renewable power plant is described. It uses forecasting and optimization techniques to optimize the power output from a wind farm, a solar PV system and a battery energy storage system (BESS) such that dispatchable renewable generation is realized. Hence, the hybrid renewable power plant can participate in the interval-ahead electricity market in a similar fashion to conventional units and get dispatched. In addition to reducing the requirement for flexibility and reserve, a dispatchable hybrid renewable power plant can participate in the reserve market using part of the stored energy and any uncommitted power. This is a major leap towards an even higher penetration of renewables in power systems since it directly targets one of the main disadvantages of renewables. A case study is carried out to demonstrate the potential for integrating Sultanate of Oman's Harweel wind farm with a solar PV system and a BESS to provide dispatchable hybrid renewable generation, with the aid of the introduced optimal scheduling unit of the EMS.