Interfacing wind energy conversion equipment with utility systems

Technical interface issues between utility systems and solar technology devices are receiving increasing attention from government and industry. These issues arise from the intermittent power generation characteristics of solar systems, in contrast to most utility generation equipment. This paper explores the interface issues for wind energy systems, a solar technology likely to achieve early commercialization. Described are government- and industry-sponsored assessments of the impact of wind energy devices on industry operations, controls, and protective subsystems. The conclusions drawn indicate that: there does not appear to be any major technical interface problem in applying wind energy devices to utility power systems; current utility control and protection design methods are adequate for interfacing wind energy units with a utility system; and, the cost of control and protection for large (over 1 Mw) wind machines appears acceptable but may prove prohibitive for small machines. Several advanced technology options with the potential for reducing the costs for protection and control are also described, for both the wind machines and the utility system.