Solar PV resource for higher penetration through a combined spatial aggregation with wind

Abstract

The conventional approach to assess and integrate renewable energy (RE) resource individually has its own limitations especially in areas where different energy resources get integrated to supply power to the grid. In South Africa, the Solar PV resource potential is extremely high virtually all over the country, however, solar PV is integrated into the grid with other energy sources. The other significant RE source in South Africa is wind, therefore it is important to understand the interaction between wind and solar PV and how these would be reflected in the power system. The benefits of spatial distribution of renewables are well understood, but the impact of the combined spatial aggregation of wind and solar PV is central to the design of the future power system in a responsive manner. A thorough understanding of the combined aggregated spatial effect of these two resources is critical in ensuring that PV is optimally rolled out in the country. The fact that solar PV has a good yield potential all over the country could lead to a situation where PV could be developed aggressively with no due regard for the spatial aggregation effects when it is combined with wind. This could result in suboptimal use of the resource and undesired grid capacity and stability problems.