The wind potential impact on the maximum wind energy penetration in autonomous electrical grids

According to long-term wind speed measurements the Aegean Archipelago possesses excellent wind potential, hence properly designed wind energy applications can substantially contribute to fulfill the energy requirements of the island societies. On top of this, in Most islands the electricity production cost is extremely high, while significant insufficient power supply problems are often encountered, especially during the summer. Unfortunately, the stochastic behaviour of the wind and the important fluctuations of daily and seasonal electricity load pose a strict penetration limit for the contribution of wind energy in the corresponding load demand. The application of this limit is necessary in order to avoid hazardous electricity grid fluctuations and to protect the existing thermal power units from operating near or below their technical minima. In this context, the main target of the proposed study is to present an integrated methodology able to estimate the maximum wind energy penetration in autonomous electrical grids on the basis of the available wind potential existing in the Aegean Archipelago area. For this purpose a large number of representative wind potential types have been investigated and interesting conclusions have been derived. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.