This report analyses the impact of generator size (geographic footprint and installed capacity) on ramp rates for solar and wind farms in Australia. The findings can help to inform on-grid and off-grid applications; however, developers of off-grid hybrid power stations have the most to gain from the presented outcomes.
Report extract
Understanding how quickly solar and wind farms can “ramp” their generation up or down in response to variable weather conditions is relevant to understanding how a high penetration renewables grid (from off-grid applications to the NEM) can best operate, and the requirements for storage or backup generation to account for intra-day weather variability. Ramp rates are one of the factors in determining whether a grid will remain stable after a sudden drop and then increase in generation due to thick cloud cover passing quickly over a solar farm or change in wind speed at a wind farm.
This new empirical analysis on wind and solar “ramp rates” will assist developers and operators in being able to better optimise the design of hybrid power systems and the appropriate storage, forecasting and other strategies required to best manage generation variability. This study analyses high frequency (i.e., 4 second) dispatch data from 2020 at 54 grid-connected solar and wind generators to improve the understanding of the relationship that exists between size (i.e., geographical footprint and capacity) and ramp rates. We report on the probability distributions of 4-second, 6-second, 60-second and 5-minute ramp rates.
The findings can help to inform on-grid and off-grid applications; however, developers of off-grid hybrid power stations have the most to gain from the presented outcomes. Off-grid power stations can achieve higher renewable energy fractions if their design accounts for ramp rates at short time intervals (i.e., sub 5-minute). Previously, there has been limited analysis of empirical evidence that quantifies ramp rates for variable renewable energy (VRE) generators at short time intervals.
The Generator Operations Series
The Generator Operations Series: Benchmarking Large-Scale Solar PV Performance in Australia
This study proposes a method to remotely determine the Performance Ratio (PR) of solar farms using satellite weather data, without needing ground-based measuring equipment.
The Generator Operations Series: Forecasts vs Actuals from the LSS Projects
The fourth report in the Generator Operations series shares insights into the projects funded under ARENA’s Large-scale Solar PV Competitive Round.
The Generator Operations Series: Negative Pricing and Bidding Behaviour on the NEM
This report analyses four years of AEMO data to provide a detailed picture of negative pricing in the NEM over time and across the states.
The Generator Operations Series: Ramp Rates for Solar and Wind Generators on the NEM
This report analyses the impact of generator size (geographic footprint and installed capacity) on ramp rates for solar and wind farms in Australia.
The Generator Operations Series: Large-Scale Solar Operations
This is the first of a series of reports on the operations of large-scale solar (LSS) projects in Australia.
The Generator Operations Series: Unlocking Curtailed Solar Energy on the NEM through Storage
This study estimates the potential generation, associated revenue and emissions reduction benefits that could be captured by co-locating large-scale battery storage at 44 NEM connected solar farms.
