The effect of renewable energy incorporation on power grid stability and resilience

• Published in: Science advances Vol. 8; no. 9; p. eabj6734
• Main Authors: Smith, Oliver, Cattell, Oliver, Farcot, Etienne, O'Dea, Reuben D, Hopcraft, Keith I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association for the Advancement of Science 04.03.2022
• Subjects: Applied Sciences and Engineering; Network Science; SciAdv r-articles; Social and Interdisciplinary Sciences
• ISSN: 2375-2548; 2375-2548
• DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj6734

Contemporary proliferation of renewable power generation is causing an overhaul in the topology, composition, and dynamics of electrical grids. These low-output, intermittent generators are widely distributed throughout the grid, including at the household level. It is critical for the function of modern power infrastructure to understand how this increasingly distributed layout affects network stability and resilience. This paper uses dynamical models, household power consumption, and photovoltaic generation data to show how these characteristics vary with the level of distribution. It is shown that resilience exhibits daily oscillations as the grid's effective structure and the power demand fluctuate. This can lead to a substantial decrease in grid resilience, explained by periods of highly clustered generator output. Moreover, the addition of batteries, while enabling consumer self-sufficiency, fails to ameliorate these problems. The methodology identifies a grid's susceptibility to disruption resulting from its network structure and modes of operation.