Wind:
Grid Systems Operations for Wind

INESC Porto Windfarm

The focus of this research activity is to address how operators of power systems and wind power plants can incorporate advanced wind forecasting technologies into their operations.  Argonne is reviewing current operational techniques and is developing and testing improved methods for using wind forecasts for wind power plant operation and bidding.

Specifically, we investigate the use of forecasting in unit commitment and dispatch decisions, and particularly the evaluation of stochastic unit commitment formulations. We also focus on how wind farm owners/operators can make use of the forecasts in trading decisions to increase their profits and control their risks. We test our methodologies in a variety of case studies. This task is closely related to our work on developing improved statistical forecasting methods. 

In this research project, we partner with INESC Porto, a research institute in Portugal, Horizon Wind Energy, and the Midwest Independent System Operator.

Reports

Use of Wind Power Forecasting in Operational Decisions -- In this report, we analyze how wind power forecasting can serve as an efficient tool toward this end. We discuss the current status of wind power forecasting in U.S. electricity markets and develop several methodologies and modeling tools for the use of wind power forecasting in operational decisions, from the perspectives of the system operator as well as the wind power producer. In particular, we focus on the use of probabilistic forecasts in operational decisions. Read the report.

Development and Testing of Improved Statistical Wind Power Forecasting Methods -- In this report, we document improved statistical methods for wind power forecasting (WPF). First, we present the results of the application of information theoretic learning training criteria to wind power point forecasting. Second, we present novel time-adaptive kernel density forecast methods for characterizing WPF uncertainty, along with the corresponding case study results. Finally, a new method to predict and visualize ramp events is illustrated. Read the report.

More

• Read more about wind grid systems operations
• Argonne press release
• Partner press release
• Science Daily article

December 2011