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Trends and Emerging Requirements for Power-Electronic Converters in Renewable Energy Applications

Jovan Z. Bebic, Ph.D., P.Eng.

President and CEO

Market Trends APEC 2021

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Overview1) Renewable energy today2) Emerging trends3) Integration challenges4) Grooming the talent for this and next decade

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Installed Renewable Capacity – World

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International Renewable Energy Agency “Trends in Renewable Energy” https://www.irena.org/Statistics/View-Data-by-Topic/Capacity-and-Generation/Statistics-Time-Series

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Renewables as a Share of Electricity Production

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Comparison of countries with 2019 electricity production greater than 200TWh

Sorted by percentage of energy derived from Wind + SolarOur World in Data “Electricity Generation”https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/electricity-generationOur World in Data “Share of electricity production by source” https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-elec-by-source

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United States Wind and Solar – Installed Capacity

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American Clean Power “ACP Market Report Fourth Quarter 2020” https://cleanpower.org/resources/american-clean-power-market-report-q4-2020/

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United States Wind – Emerging Trends

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Offshore Wind – Leased Areas

American Clean Power “ACP Market Report Fourth Quarter 2020” https://cleanpower.org/resources/american-clean-power-market-report-q4-2020/Bureau of Ocean Energy Management “Outer Continental Shelf Renewable Energy Leases Map Book”, March 2021 https://www.boem.gov/sites/default/files/documents/oil-gas-energy/Renewable_Energy_Leases_Map_Book_March_2021.pdf

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United States Energy Storage

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American Clean Power “ACP Market Report Fourth Quarter 2020” https://cleanpower.org/resources/american-clean-power-market-report-q4-2020/Energy Information Agency “Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory”https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia860m/

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Integration Challenges – Constraints

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It is seasonally variable The best [land] resources are away from transmission and loads

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AUnitedStatesPowerGrid.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_population_map.png

https://www.nrel.gov/gis/assets/images/wtk-160m-2017-01.jpg

https://www.nrel.gov/gis/assets/images/solar-annual-ghi-2018-usa-scale-01.jpg

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Integration Challenges – ComplexityMost renewable energy is interfaced to the power system using power-electronic converters.

There is fierce competition, cost is important!

Interconnection requirements (grid codes) do not anticipate all possible system conditions.

System operators expect OEMs to solve grid integration problems, OEMs expect system operators to define the requirements.

There are a lot of growing pains…

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Aug 20161200MW

Aug 20191880MW

Oct 2017900MW

Apr & May 20181200 & 811MW

Jul 2020205+1000MW

NERC Major Event Analysis Reports https://www.nerc.com/pa/rrm/ea/Pages/Major-Event-Reports.aspxOFGEM “Technical Report on the events of 9 Aug 2019” Sep 6, 2019 https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2019/09/eso_technical_report_-_final.pdf

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Power Electronics TrainingCONTINUECircuit topologies

Buck, boost, buck-boost, 2-level, 3-level, modular multi-level

Power circuit layoutLoop-inductance / gate resistanceDouble-pulse testingCharacterization of losses

Converter controlPWM strategiesDirect-quadrature axis-transformPhase locked loop

CONSIDERMore complex grid models

Go beyond R+L as a grid equivalent circuitSeries compensationSignificant shunt capacitance (AC tie to shore)Combinations of the two

Go below a short circuit ratio of 2Consider background harmonics

Converter ride-through performanceLVRT, HVRT, phase jumps, voltage control

Converter to converter interactionsConverters interfaced to an HVDC (voltage source and line commutated)

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Competency across multiple domains is increasingly and urgently needed!

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Thank you!Contact

Jovan Z. Bebic, Ph.D., P.Eng.President and CEOAchillea Research, Inc.jzb (at) achillearesearch (dot) com

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