Stabilising the renewable energy grid

47.8 per cent of the total energy generated in the first quarter of 2023 came from renewable sources, a 2.4 per cent increase on the same period in 2022. These figures are a testament to the UK Government’s commitment to reducing its fossil fuel reliance as part of the British energy security strategy. But an increasingly renewable grid challenges grid stability and reliability. So, how can we tackle these issues to ensure our renewable energy output continues to flourish?

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A major obstacle the UK faces is that the increased capacity is largely down to wind and solar power, which are weather dependent.

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The new capacity is made up of

-??????? 1.2 gigawatts (GW) from offshore wind projects ??

-??????? 0.9 GW from solar installations ??

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Dependability difficulties

Wind energy generation drops during the warmer months, but the increase in solar power generated during this period cannot sufficiently balance the shortfall.

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Unpredictable weather also challenges the grid’s stability, as it was designed with the power generation stability of gas and coal in mind, so may not be able to handle the excess energy generated on particularly windy or sunny days. This can result in power outages and a less reliable energy supply to UK homes.?

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Increasing stability and reliability

An effective way of ensuring that the grid can handle energy fluctuations is with load bank testing, which allows engineers to:

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-??????? Simulate the electrical load that wind and solar farms will need to handle when connected to the grid ??

-??????? Determine the system’s resilience under different operating conditions ??

-??????? Gauge the maximum load the system can handle without overwhelming the grid ??

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Load bank testing is a key process in the commissioning of new renewable projects, as it limits the likelihood that the system will fail or falter during extreme weather events.

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However, the need for load bank testing doesn’t stop once the wind or solar farm is operational. A maintenance plan that includes regular testing is essential in identifying potential damage caused by voltage fluctuations before they disrupt the grid’s reliability.?

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Load bank testing for remote renewables sites

Offshore wind farms are often remote and difficult to access, making load bank portability key. However, with many off-the-shelf load bank options, portability comes at the expense of load capacity. Given the high kilowatt requirements needed for renewable system testing, custom load banks are usually preferable, as they can be designed to offer higher capacity in a compact size, simplifying the testing process.

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2023’s record-breaking renewable energy production is a great step towards the UK’s goal of a more sustainable future, but we cannot afford to sit back. Tackling stability issues with load bank testing means we can have a grid that is both renewable and reliable.

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To learn more about Power Prove’s expertise in providing custom load banks for commissioning, testing and maintaining renewable energy generation projects, please visit the website.