NGOs and TSOs join forces

Historically, environmentally conscious NGOs and Transmission System Operators (TSOs) were for the most part diametrically opposed on the subject of high-voltage transmission lines. This makes it all the more remarkable that now two NGOs, including WWF, have joined an initiative that advocates an enforcement of the European transmission grid. Such enforcement is considered necessary to enable the integration of renewable energy systems.

Jay Apt and Aimee Curtright

Global average around 20%
 

The success of wind power is usually measured by the growth in installed capacity. This capacity, however, is peak power: the maximum power at optimum wind speed. The average output of a wind turbine is always lower.

The capacity factor of a wind turbine expresses the ratio of average power output to peak power. Many national and European targets assume a capacity factor of around 30%, while the world’s average capacity factor in 2005 was only 19.6%.

By Sven De Breucker et al

By Bora Alboyaci and Bahtiyar Dursun

The aim of this paper is to review the connection requirements of wind farms to the grid and how grid codes must be adapted in order to integrate wind power generation capacity without affecting the quality and stability of the electricity system. This paper also summarizes the grid codes that have already been modified to incorporate high levels of wind power. Grid connection requirements in selected countries such as Denmark, Germany, Netherlands and Turkey are investigated in detail.