Deep Dive Workshop Highlights Global Grid Integration Experiences and Good Practices

The workshop provided and opportunity for Asia Clean Energy Forum participants to gain knowledge and tools to enable a clean, modern, flexible, and affordable power system.

On 5 June 2018, USAID, GIZ, and NREL led a one-day Deep Dive Workshop at the Asia Clean Energy Forum on "Grid Integration of Variable Renewable Energy: Innovative Solutions at the Transmission and Distribution Levels."

The Deep Dive Workshop gathered international experts to share insights on grid integration issues and solutions emerging in diverse power systems around the world. While penetration levels of variable renewable energy (VRE) in global transmission and distribution grids are constantly increasing, the message from the speakers was clear: we have not hit a technical limit in the integration of VRE yet. This overarching theme was supported by case studies from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Germany, India, and Hawaii. Another important theme that emerged is that no one-size-fits-all solution address all integration challenges. The system-specific context needs to be carefully analyzed, using high quality data and a variety of models and scenarios, which are constantly evolving and hence need frequent updates. Throughout the day, the panelists and participants discussed several grid integration solutions, including conventional fleet flexibility, VRE curtailment, energy storage, and grid codes. Given the momentum toward more solar and wind deployment, grid integration will continue to be a topic of great importance to the Asia region in the future.

Presentations from the workshop are available on the Asia Clean Energy Forum website: http://www.asiacleanenergyforum.org/presentations-2018-old/deep-dive-workshop/.