Analysis of Penetration and Reserve Requirements when Incorporating Renewable Energy Power Generation in the Bonneville Power Administration Balancing Authority Area

Interest in renewable energy is on the rise, in both grid-connected operations and research projects. Major types of renewable energy include: wind, solar, wave, tidal, biomass, and geothermal. The majority are variable, non-dispatchable sources, which can have a negative impact on reserve requirements. This study focused on determining the optimal combination of renewable sources with a total penetration of 30% to minimize the impact on the reserve requirements. The current state of renewable energy in the grid leans very strongly to wind, but as a greater diversity is incorporated into the grid, the reserve requirements decrease. The optimum combination was determined to be 5% each of wind, solar, wave, tidal, biomass, and geothermal. A diverse mix of renewable energy helps counteract the impact of individual variable, non-dispatchable renewable energy sources, and reduces the impact of variability and uncertainty in meeting the power demand