scholarly journals The Potential to Improve the Value of U.S. Geothermal Electricity Generation Through Flexible Operations

2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dev Millstein ◽  
Patrick Dobson ◽  
Seongeun Jeong

Abstract Geothermal power plants have typically been operated as baseload plants. The recent expansion of wind and solar power generation creates a potential opportunity to increase the value of geothermal generation through flexible operations. In recent years, California’s wholesale electricity markets have exhibited frequent, short-term periods of negative pricing, indicating that additional flexibility would be valued in the market. Here, we examine local nodal hourly price records at all geothermal plants located in the western United States. We describe how the frequency and temporal characteristics of negative pricing episodes have changed over recent years. Based on these price series, we calculate the value of multiple strategies of flexible operations. Additionally, we use the estimates of future prices, developed through a capacity-expansion model and a dispatch model, to explore how the value of such flexible operations might change along with further penetration of variable renewable power sources. Based on the historical pricing records, we find that simple curtailment of operations during negative pricing episodes could increase the average energy value by 1–2 $/MWh and that allowing for increased production during limited high-priced hours, in addition to curtailment during negative priced hours, could potentially double the increase in value (up to 4 $/MWh). The forward-looking simulations indicate reduced values of flexibility from geothermal power despite higher penetrations of variable renewable energy. This result highlights the possibility that increasing flexibility options throughout the system may counteract the influence of increased variable renewable energy deployment.

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 2BIOTO ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Eser ◽  
Ndaona Chokani ◽  
Reza S. Abhari

AbstractThe operation of conventional power plants in the 2030 high-renewable energy system of central Europe with high penetration of renewables is simulated in this work. Novel insights are gained in this work, since the generation, transmission and demand models have high geographic resolution, down to scale of individual units, with hourly temporal resolution. It is shown that the increases in the partload efficiency that optimize gas power plants’ financial performance in 2030 are highly dependent on the variability in power production of renewable power plants that are in close proximity to the gas power plants. While coal power plants are also cycled more, an increased baseload efficiency is more beneficial for their financial viability. Thus, there is a need for OEMs to offer a wide range of technology solutions to cover all customers’ needs in electricity markets with high penetrations of renewables. Therefore there is an increased investment risk for OEMs as they strive to match their customers’ future needs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 8484
Author(s):  
Seok-Ho Song ◽  
Jin-Young Heo ◽  
Jeong-Ik Lee

A nuclear power plant is one of the power sources that shares a large portion of base-load. However, as the proportion of renewable energy increases, nuclear power plants will be required to generate power more flexibly due to the intermittency of the renewable energy sources. This paper reviews a layout thermally integrating the liquid air energy storage system with a nuclear power plant. To evaluate the performance realistically while optimizing the layout, operating nuclear power plant conditions are used. After revisiting the analysis, the optimized performance of the proposed system is predicted to achieve 59.96% of the round-trip efficiency. However, it is further shown that external environmental conditions could deteriorate the performance. For the design of liquid air energy storage-nuclear power plant integrated systems, both the steam properties of the linked plants and external factors should be considered.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Francisco Larios ◽  
Enrique Personal ◽  
Antonio Parejo ◽  
Sebastián García ◽  
Antonio García ◽  
...  

The complexity of power systems is rising mainly due to the expansion of renewable energy generation. Due to the enormous variability and uncertainty associated with these types of resources, they require sophisticated planning tools so that they can be used appropriately. In this sense, several tools for the simulation of renewable energy assets have been proposed. However, they are traditionally focused on the simulation of the generation process, leaving the operation of these systems in the background. Conversely, more expert SCADA operators for the management of renewable power plants are required, but their training is not an easy task. SCADA operation is usually complex, due to the wide set of information available. In this sense, simulation or co-simulation tools can clearly help to reduce the learning curve and improve their skills. Therefore, this paper proposes a useful simulator based on a JavaScript engine that can be easily connected to any renewable SCADAs, making it possible to perform different simulated scenarios for novel operator training, as if it were a real facility. Using this tool, the administrators can easily program those scenarios allowing them to sort out the lack of support found in setting up facilities and training of novel operator tasks. Additionally, different renewable energy generation models that can be implemented in the proposed simulator are described. Later, as a use example of this tool, a study case is also performed. It proposes three different wind farm generation facility models, based on different turbine models: one with the essential generation turbine function obtained from the manufacturer curve, another with an empirical model using monotonic splines, and the last one adding the most important operational states, making it possible to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed simulation tool.


2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-49
Author(s):  
Christina Dornack

The use of renewable waste for bioenergy production is in discussion because of the concurrence to the food or animal feed. The treatment of organic waste is necessary in order to keep clean the environment. The combination of those proposals, the waste utilization and the production of renewable energy can be combined with several techniques. In Vietnam the energy demand will increase rapidly in the next years, because a lot of people do not have access to electricity. The development of power sources is limited mainly to large central power plants using hydropower and traditional fossil fuels. So in the country there exists a considerable potential for sustainable energy sources like biomass and residues. The biogas potential is large due to the high livestock population. There are more than 30 million animals in farms, mostly pigs, cattle, and water buffalo. There is a high potential for biogas utilization. Biogas production is economic in small and in big plants, so household biogas digesters are one opportunity for production of renewable energy in small villages or cities with a high livestock population. The advantage of anaerobic treatment of organic waste is the work in closed loops. The treatment of organic waste and the utilization of digested sludge from wastewater treatment plants are samples for the circulation of materials after use. The remaining materials can be used in the natural circulation process, because the nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous and carbon, and also trace elements remain in the digested matter. In biogas plants a huge variety of substrates can be used. The adaption of biogas technology to the special conditions of the substrates, the increase of the prices for energy, the aim to replace fossil energies with renewable energies will be forced in the next years. Việc sử dụng chất thải có thể tái tạo được để sản xuất năng lượng sinh học là vấn đề còn đang được thảo luận vì sự cạnh tranh với thức ăn hoặc thức ăn cho động vật. Việc xử lý các chất thải hữu cơ là cần thiết để giữ sạch môi trường. Sự kết hợp của các đề xuất đó, tận dụng các chất thải và sản xuất năng lượng tái tạo có thể có thể được kết hợp với một số kỹ thuật.Ở Việt Nam, nhu cầu năng lượng sẽ tăng lên nhanh chóng trong những năm tiếp theo, bởi vì rất nhiều người vẫn chưa có điện sử dụng. Sự phát triển của các nguồn năng lượng chỉ giới hạn chủ yếu là các nhà máy điện lớn trung tâm sử dụng thủy điện và các nhiên liệu hóa thạch truyền thống. Vì vậy, trong nước tồn tại tiềm năng đáng kể cho các nguồn năng lượng bền vững như sinh khối và những nguồn khác. Tiềmnăng khí sinh học lớn do quần thể động vật nuôi rất lớn. Có hơn 30 triệu động vật trong trang trại, chủ yếu là lợn, bò, trâu nước. Tiềm năng sử dụng khí sinh học rất cao. Sản xuất khí sinh học rất có hiệu quả kinh tế trong các nhà máy nhỏ và lớn, do đó, các thiết bị phản ứng tạo khí sinh học ở các hộ gia đình là một cơ hội để sản xuất năng lượng tái tạo trong các thành phố hay làng mạc nhỏ với số lượng lớn các gia súc được chăn nuôi. Ưu điểm của việc xử lý kỵ khí các chất thải hữu cơ là làm việc trong vòngkhép kín. Việc xử lý các chất thải hữu cơ và sử dụng bùn phân hủy từ các nhà máy xử lý nước thải là các ví dụ cho việc tuần hoàn các vật chất sau khi sử dụng. Các vật chất còn lại có thể được sử dụng trong quá trình tuần hoàn tự nhiên, vì các chất dinh dưỡng như phốt pho, nitơ và carbon, và cả các nguyên tố vi lượng vẫn tồn tại trong nguyên liệu đã phân hủy. Trong các nhà máy khí sinh học, rất nhiều loại chất nền có thể được sử dụng. Sự cải tiến công nghệ sản xuất khí sinh học theo các điều kiện đặc biệt của các chất nền, sự gia tăng của giá năng lượng, mục đích thay thế nguồn năng lượng hóa thạch bằng năng lượng tái tạo sẽ là bắt buộc trong những năm tới.


Author(s):  
A.V. Edelev ◽  
D.N. Karamov ◽  
I.A. Sidorov ◽  
D.V. Binh ◽  
N.H. Nam ◽  
...  

The paper addresses the research of the large-scale penetration of renewable energy into the power system of Vietnam. The proposed approach presents the optimization of operational decisions in different power generation technologies as a Markov decision process. It uses a stochastic base model that optimizes a deterministic lookahead model. The first model applies the stochastic search to optimize the operation of power sources. The second model captures hourly variations of renewable energy over a year. The approach helps to find the optimal generation configuration under different market conditions.


Author(s):  
Alptekin Ulutaş ◽  
Coşkun Karaca

Meeting the energy requirements with imported fuels leads to economic and political problems in the countries. Therefore, renewable energy investments continue to grow globally as a sustainable and increasingly economically viable alternative to conventional sources of energy. This study aims to reduce the share of imported fuels in Turkey's electricity generation and to estimate the employment gain to be provided by renewable energy investments to be established instead. Approximately 900,000 jobs are created during the production, construction, operational, and maintenance phases of additional 49,448 MW capacity renewable power plants to be installed. While analyzing, the decision on how much to invest in which renewable resource is determined with respect to multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) model.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-52
Author(s):  
Ali Nasser Hussain ◽  
Zuhair Sameen Shuker ◽  
Majid Khudair Abbas Al-Tamimi ◽  
Mimouna Abid

Solar energy is one of the most promising renewable energy sources. The potential solar energy has a capacity to meet all energy requirements for human survival on planet earth. Some applications such as a thermoelectric generator, electric power generation with the assistance of solar panels and water applications are required to reduce the demand for electricity generated by conventional power plants. The current work evaluates the effectiveness of solar energy for supplying the police building located in Diyala, Iraq. The installed renewable power system consists of photovoltaic/ battery system set with grid connection installed on the roof of the building with a capacity of 5.52 kWp and battery unit (200 A, 48 Volt). Based on the daily average load kWh and daily average solar irradiance for the selected site (4.3 kWh/m2), the results of the energy generated by the system for two selected days showed that for a sunny day is about (11.63 kWh) and for party cloudy day is about (8.02 kWh). The average of energy fed to the grid for a sunny day was recorded more by more than 3.0 kWh and for party cloudy day by more than 4.0 kWh.  The system installed at the first day of February of the year 2021. The obtained results encourage to install of photovoltaic systems in the selected site which can feed such facilities with renewable energy and deliver energy to the grid.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 04023
Author(s):  
Zhicheng Xu ◽  
Bo Yuan ◽  
Fuqiang Zhang

In this paper, a power supply optimization model is proposed. The model takes the minimum fossil energy consumption as the target, considering the output characteristics of the conventional power supply and the renewable power supply. The optimal capacity ratio of wind-solar in the power supply under various constraints is calculated, and the interrelation between conventional power supply and renewable energy is analyzed in the system of high proportion renewable energy integration. Using the model, we can provide scientific guidance for the coordinated and orderly development of renewable energy and conventional power sources.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 3616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Glensk ◽  
Reinhard Madlener

This paper aims to analyze what happens with renewable energy power plants, such as onshore wind, photovoltaics and biomass, when the public policy support based on the Renewable Energy Law expires. With its expiration, the first renewable energy (and especially onshore wind) power plants will have to be scrutinized as to whether they can economically continue operation, whether they have to be repowered, or whether they need to be decommissioned. The relative merits of these three alternatives are evaluated by applying real options analysis. In contrast to traditional project evaluation techniques, the real options approach takes advantage of the use of uncertain parameters included in the model, such as the development of the electricity price or electricity output. The results obtained suggest that parameters such as the level of future operation and maintenance costs, the expected development of the electricity price at the spot market, and the interrelations between these, as well as the development of the electricity output from renewables can significantly affect the profitability of these power plants and thus impact the decision about their further optimal operation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 197 ◽  
pp. 08018
Author(s):  
Nova Dany Setyawan ◽  
Nugroho Agung Pambudi ◽  
Frandhoni Utomo ◽  
Herman Saputro ◽  
Reza Adiprana ◽  
...  

The Government of Indonesia is committed to realize a policy of 35,000 Megawatt (MW) of an additional supply of electricity within 5 years (2014-2019). The projection of this capacity is largely supported by fossil fuel power plants and a small portion of renewable energy. One of the renewable energy which currently has great potential in Indonesia is the geothermal. Therefore, improving the capacity of geothermal is needed to support the policy. The Kamojang is one of the largest geothermal power plant in Indonesia with an installed capacity of 235 MW from 5 generating units. The purposes of this research is to calculate the energy and exergy analysis at Kamojang geothermal power plant. To improve the capacity, exergy analysis can be used by employing the thermodynamic method. In this research, unit 2 of Kamojang's plant is employed. The analysis was examined by using the Engineering Equation Solver (EES) code. The results show the first law of efficiency was calculated at 19.03% and the second law of efficiency at 40.31%.


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