2011 Wind Integration Issue of IEEE Power & Energy Magazine Published

UWIG Again Coordinates Update of Electric Power Industry Publication on Topic

Reston, Va. – November 7, 2011 – The Utility Wind Integration Group (UWIG) is pleased to announce the publication of the November/December 2011 issue of the IEEE Power & Energy Society's Power & Energy Magazine, which provides an extensive update of the state of the art of integrating wind energy into utility power systems.

The November/December 2011 issue provides an update of many of the topics addressed in the November/December 2005, November/December 2007, and November/December 2009 issues of the magazine, regarded by many as seminal references on the topic of integrating wind into electric power systems.

J. Charles Smith, UWIG executive director, along with Brian Parsons of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), served as guest editors for the issue. They also performed this role for the previous issues. Click here to read their guest editorial.

The magazine features the following articles:

Update on Wind Activities at the IEEE
Lead author: Dick Piwko, GE Energy
Mr. Piwko serves as the chair of the IEEE Wind Power Coordinating Committee (WPCC). This article provides an overview of a broad range of activities, with a focus on the very active work of the Wind and Solar Plant Collector System Design Working Group of the Subcommittee on Integration of Renewable Energy into Transmission and Distribution Grids of the T&D Committee. It focuses on the impressive wind work inside IEEE Power & Energy Society and how it has expanded since the WPCC was formed in 2005.

China Status Report
Lead Author: Liping Jiang, Vice President of the State Grid Energy Research Institute
This article covers many aspects of the current situation in China, including policy drivers and regulatory framework, interconnection and integration issues, transmission status and plans, turbine technology, and wind forecasting and system dispatch.

European Current Status of Wind Integration and Power System and Market Operation
Lead Author: Hannele Holttinen of VTT in Finland
This article reviews five of the highest wind penetration countries in Europe – Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, and Germany. Dr. Holttinen also serves as the chair of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Wind Annex Task 25 work, an international collaboration on the experience with large amounts of wind on power systems around the world.

Transmission Planning
Lead Author: Dale Osborn of Midwest Independent System Operator
Mr. Osborn is assisted by an able team of co-authors from many of the major RTOs and ISOs across the U.S. This article builds on previous articles on this topic in the prior special issues, and focuses on the major ISO/RTO and interconnection-wide transmission planning efforts in the Eastern Interconnection, WECC, and ERCOT.

NERC IVGTF Activity and Cooperation
Lead Author: Mark Lauby, NERC
This activity represents an unprecedented level of cooperation among the more traditional NERC generation and transmission entities along with wind and solar generation developers, equipment manufacturers, wind forecasters, and industry consultants. The lead author of this article is assisted by an able team of industry experts reflecting a diverse spectrum of the industry, and actively involved in carrying out the work.

Wind Turbine and Plant Models and Model Validation, Grid Code Requirements and Corresponding Equipment Capabilities
Lead Author: Bob Zavadil of EnerNex
This article deals with some of the hot-button issues of inertial response, frequency response, low voltage ride through, and active and reactive power control, among others.

Status and Role of Wind Forecasting in Power System Operations
Lead Author: Mark Ahlstrom, CEO of WindLogics
This article focuses on advances in wind forecasting made in the two years since the last update in the special issue, and an up-to-date review of the role that wind forecasting is playing in power system operations and how market rules are changing to better manage higher wind penetrations. This article is available for public download, courtesy of the IEEE Power & Energy Society.

The issue also featured an In My View editorial column by Mark O'Malley of University College Dublin on trends and research needs related to grid integration of renewables.

Additional information on this issue can be found on the magazine's web site. Note that you must have an IEEE web account to access the articles.

The Utility Wind Integration Group (UWIG) was established in 1989 to provide a forum for the critical analysis of wind technology for utility applications and to serve as a source of credible information on the status of wind technology and deployment. The group’s mission is to accelerate the development and application of good engineering and operational practices supporting the appropriate integration of wind and solar power for utility applications through the coordinated efforts and actions of its members, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, its National Renewable Energy Laboratory and utility research organizations. UWIG is an international organization with over 170 members from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, including investor-owned, public power, and rural electric cooperative utilities; transmission system operators; and associate member corporate, government, and academic organizations.