The influence of wind generation on power system reliability and the possible use of hydrogen storages

The aim of this study is to simulate the impact of non-programmable generation sources, in particular wind farms, on the reliability of an electric power system. A probabilistic model has been implemented, to evaluate the influence of wind generation on the amount of secondary/tertiary generating reserve, required in a hydro-thermoelectric system to maintain a certain level of reliability.A case study, calibrated on the electric system of one of the largest Italian islands, shows the critical issues associated with over-generation events, basically due to an underestimation of wind production. Three possible policies, to be adopted during real-time by the Independent System Operator (ISO) in order to face such events, are simulated and discussed in terms of system reliability and costs for balancing operation.The use of hydrogen storages, managed by the ISO to cope with over-generation contingencies, is proposed and analyzed in different scenarios of wind penetration, assessing the payback time of the storage devices also considering the economic implications of system reliability.