Finding optimum reactive power compensation in a wind farm

Abstract

Presently, renewable energies and especially wind energy are gaining a special relevance in the electrical market worldwide. This is due to the more and more urgent need to find alternative energies that supplant those derived from fossil fuels. Within this present framework of renewable energy development, it is worthy of mention the rapid advancement of wind energy and its notable penetration into the electrical systems of different countries, both in Europe and worldwide.

This current rate of growth motivates the wind farms to not limit themselves to producing energy, but also to provide stability to the network within its capabilities, making then possible to increase the power percentage relative to the total power of the system. So, actual objective is to adapt the installations that produce wind energy in such a way that they give a maximum amount of support in any given moment to the electrical network.

Throughout this study a complete cost-benefit analysis model is developed, focused on incorporating automatic capacitor banks into wind farms for the compensation of reactive power. The used methodology can be applied to the other technologies as well by simply amplifying the algorithms according to the specific characteristics of the option elected.