Economic Analysis of Wind Generation and Energy Storage for Electric Utility Systems

If wind generators are being evaluated as part of a larger electric utility generation system, the economic analysis should consider all of their effects upon the make-up and operation of the rest of the system. The introduction of wind generators changes the characteristics of the effective load seen by the rest of the system and consequently shifts the optimal mix of base, swinging, and peaking capacity and their operation. Storage systems used in conjunction with wind generators must also be evaluated. The storage can also be evaluated by determining its effect upon load characteristics. It is shown that the storage evaluation and wind generation evaluation can be separated in most cases