VAREO
(VAriable Renewable Energy Optimization)
The challenge of integrating high shares of variable Renewable Energy Sources (vRES) like wind and solar photovoltaics, and the implicit necessity to balance high fluctuations in power supply is a relatively new research field. The VAREO approach developed at the bioenergy department considers basic characteristics of future power systems that largely depend on vRES and aims at identifying solutions in mitigating the enormous technical challenges ahead.
We use geographical data and time series data for the simulation and optimization of power system layouts that fulfill future renewable energy targets on the regional and national scale. Therefore system friendly layouts in wind and solar photovoltaic installations are investigated in combination with optimal shares from these individual technologies. The results offer minimal surplus power generation as well as reduced volatility in power supply, by optimally adapting volatile power supply from vRES with known fluctuations in power demand obtained from real world time series data.
Publications:
Tafarte, P.; Das, S.; Eichhorn M.; Thrän, D. (2014): “Small adaptations, big impacts: Options for an optimized mix of variable renewable energy sources”, Energy.