Analysis to achieve a high penetration of renewable energies in MW-scale electricity Microgrids with the case study of an island in the Pacific

Abstract

As the penetration of intermittent renewable energies consumed in MW-scale electrical grids becomes high, in many countries reaching more than 25 % per year, the need for control, stabilization and storage methods to guarantee a stable and constant supply at any given moment becomes crucial. Many technological solutions exist in the market. Some are more mature than others. A benchmarking of the grid stabilization and energy storage solutions offered by companies is followed by an overview of islands with an existing or planned high penetration of renewable energies. In a next step, a case study of the transition from a diesel powered towards a renewable energy electricity grid in an island in the Pacific is presented. A final discussion about the techno-economical sense of each solution is made comparing factors such as CAPEX and NPC.