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Integration of wind energy systems into the grid: power quality and technical requirements

The integration of wind energy into the utility network has increased significantly over the past years largely as a result of the increasing environmental concerns arising from the use of fossil fuels, coupled with the anticipated global increase in oil. In South Africa, the wind energy industry is...

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Main Author: Madangombe, Taruziwa
Other Authors: Folly, Komla A
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Electrical Engineering 2014
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access_status_str Open Access
author Madangombe, Taruziwa
author2 Folly, Komla A
author_browse Folly, Komla A
Madangombe, Taruziwa
author_facet Folly, Komla A
Madangombe, Taruziwa
author_sort Madangombe, Taruziwa
collection Thesis
description The integration of wind energy into the utility network has increased significantly over the past years largely as a result of the increasing environmental concerns arising from the use of fossil fuels, coupled with the anticipated global increase in oil. In South Africa, the wind energy industry is still in its infancy, with the Klipheuwel (about 3.2 MW) and Darling (about 4.2 MW) wind farms being the only grid connected projects in the country. However, grid integration studies carried out in [1] have shown that there are over 7 000 MW potential ideas for wind power in the Western Cape alone and this is a clear indication that there is a growing interest in wind development locally. The Government has also set a 4% target for the development of the renewable energy in the country by 2013. In light of the above, this thesis discusses some of the technical requirements and power quality issues that need to be addressed in order to fully integrate wind power into the network without adversely affecting the operation of the grid. These have been researched through reviewing the various standards and grid codes for wind power that have been implemented in other leading countries, in order to identify some of the requirements that can be adapted to suit our local integration process. Some of the main technical issues that are discussed in this thesis include the strength of the grid (fault levels), permitted penetration levels, choice of wind turbine and the reactive power requirements of the network. All these issues contribute towards the resolution of the impact of wind turbines on the power quality of the network, especially at the point of common coupling or connection (PCC). Various power quality phenomena were discussed in the literature but the ones that were further investigated included the voltage level profile, harmonic distortions as well as reactive power requirements from the wind turbines. These were determined both during the steady operation of the network and during a network disturbance.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:50:28.245Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2014
publishDateRange 2014
publishDateSort 2014
publisher Department of Electrical Engineering
publisherStr Department of Electrical Engineering
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/6661 Integration of wind energy systems into the grid: power quality and technical requirements Madangombe, Taruziwa Folly, Komla A Electrical Engineering The integration of wind energy into the utility network has increased significantly over the past years largely as a result of the increasing environmental concerns arising from the use of fossil fuels, coupled with the anticipated global increase in oil. In South Africa, the wind energy industry is still in its infancy, with the Klipheuwel (about 3.2 MW) and Darling (about 4.2 MW) wind farms being the only grid connected projects in the country. However, grid integration studies carried out in [1] have shown that there are over 7 000 MW potential ideas for wind power in the Western Cape alone and this is a clear indication that there is a growing interest in wind development locally. The Government has also set a 4% target for the development of the renewable energy in the country by 2013. In light of the above, this thesis discusses some of the technical requirements and power quality issues that need to be addressed in order to fully integrate wind power into the network without adversely affecting the operation of the grid. These have been researched through reviewing the various standards and grid codes for wind power that have been implemented in other leading countries, in order to identify some of the requirements that can be adapted to suit our local integration process. Some of the main technical issues that are discussed in this thesis include the strength of the grid (fault levels), permitted penetration levels, choice of wind turbine and the reactive power requirements of the network. All these issues contribute towards the resolution of the impact of wind turbines on the power quality of the network, especially at the point of common coupling or connection (PCC). Various power quality phenomena were discussed in the literature but the ones that were further investigated included the voltage level profile, harmonic distortions as well as reactive power requirements from the wind turbines. These were determined both during the steady operation of the network and during a network disturbance. 2014-08-22T10:26:32Z 2014-08-22T10:26:32Z 2010 Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6661 eng application/pdf Department of Electrical Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Electrical Engineering
Madangombe, Taruziwa
Integration of wind energy systems into the grid: power quality and technical requirements
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Integration of wind energy systems into the grid: power quality and technical requirements
title_full Integration of wind energy systems into the grid: power quality and technical requirements
title_fullStr Integration of wind energy systems into the grid: power quality and technical requirements
title_full_unstemmed Integration of wind energy systems into the grid: power quality and technical requirements
title_short Integration of wind energy systems into the grid: power quality and technical requirements
title_sort integration of wind energy systems into the grid power quality and technical requirements
topic Electrical Engineering
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6661
work_keys_str_mv AT madangombetaruziwa integrationofwindenergysystemsintothegridpowerqualityandtechnicalrequirements