Operating a wind farm in the future smart grid – lessons from designing and deploying a smart grid on Shetland

As the penetration of wind generation increases there is a growing need to manage the electrical system, including generators, demand and the grid to achieve the objective of a clean, reliable electricity system. Energy storage, flexible demand and novel techniques for the provision of ancillary services are all expected to form part of the future grid. Active Network Management is a technique being deployed at various locations around the UK to raise the penetration of wind generation connecting to distribution networks. This paper presents lessons learned from two such schemes. The Orkney smart grid has been in operation for several years, and the Shetland ANM scheme is currently in development with phase 1 in operation since 2012. This paper gives an overview of the two schemes and the learning that has emerged from them with particular attention to questions relevant to wind farm developers and operators