Modeling flexibility and optimal use of existing power plants with large-scale variable renewable power schemes

Jani Mikkola and Peter D. Lund

Energy, 2016, vol. 112, issue C, 364-375

Abstract: Increasing the use of variable renewable electricity (VRE) such as solar and wind power will impose major challenges to existing energy systems. The increased variability needs to be considered, but also how to optimally operate the remaining power system. In this paper, we present a fast and easy-to-use optimization model to find cost-optimal ways to manage the energy system with large-scale VRE. This is done by minimizing the running costs and maximizing revenues of the energy production. The model accounts for the energy system dynamics. It can handle both electric and thermal loads at different scales (building, city) and allows incorporating different flexibility strategies. The model is applied to analyzing a very large wind power scheme for Helsinki city (Finland), coupled to the existing CHP-dominated district heating schemes through power-to-heat conversion for more optimal system integration leading to major CO2 emission reductions. The model is well suited to studying integration of renewable energy, to design better policies for introducing VRE and to find solutions to increase energy system flexibility, among others.

Keywords: Energy systems; Energy system modeling; Optimization; Energy flexibility; Renewable energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (31)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544216308568
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:112:y:2016:i:c:p:364-375

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2016.06.082

Access Statistics for this article

Energy is currently edited by Henrik Lund and Mark J. Kaiser

More articles in Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().