Power system planning


Are you interested in a tailor-made training?

The following sample training courses give an overview of possible topics we cover in our tailor-made trainings. The sample trainings can be used as basis to develop a tailor-made training for your company or organisation. If you are interested in a tailor-made training, please fill out this questionnaire and send it to Manolita Wiehl.

Manolita Wiehl
Head of Division
International Business Development and Sales
Tel: +49 (0)30 58 70870 63
Fax: +49 (0)30 58 70870 88
Email: wiehl[at]renac.de

Face-to-face trainings

Sustainable power system planning overview

Long-term view, residual load, unit commitment, capacity constraints, flexibility and software
 


Content:		 
  • Introduction and typical questions of power system planning
  • Modern long-term electric power system expansion planning considering co-benefits of grid connected wind power and solar-PV:
    • Residual load approach for system planning
    • Unit commitment and generator dispatch planning
    • Capacity constraints (sufficient security of supply) planning
    • Distribution and transmissions grid planning
    • Sector coupling planning
    • Resource optimization, reliability evaluation and production cost simulation
    • Fixed / variable costs, CAPEX, OPEX and LCOE
    • Flexible thermal generation planning - from base load to flexible middle and peak load power production
  • Software tool overview used for power system planning taking into account co-benefits of renewable power generation (Purpose, features and covered co-benefits / environmental effects)
  • Power system planning case studies considering co-benefits of wind and solar-PV
 

Learning objectives:		 
  • Explain the differences between the traditional and modern power system planning approaches based on different load curve methods and incorporation of co-benefit grid connected wind power and solar-PV
  • Compare tools used for power system planning and how co-benefits can be used during the planning process and
  • To explain how selected co-benefits of renewable energy e.g. information on "global warming and human health effects of ambient air quality" affect the outcome of power system planning.
 

Target group:		 
  • Ministries recognising the importance of climate protection/policy and/or with responsibility for climate and energy policy on national level
  • Energy planning commissions and planning divisions of grid operators
  • Authorities and regulators with power supply planning tasks
  • Policy makers on subnational/state level
  • Energy or climate related agencies, think tanks and research institutions
 
Duration:2 days

Power system planning and operation with variable renewable energy

Base/middle/peak load, balancing power, short-term forecast, security of supply and grid studies
 


Content:		 
  • Photovoltaic (PV) and wind power technology
  • Residual load approach and power system flexibility
  • Balancing power needs for system operation and planning
  • Short-term PV and wind power forecasts
  • Security of supply with wind power and photovoltaic
  • Grid integration and system integration study set-up
 

Learning objectives:		 
  • Determine effects of high shares of PV and wind power on power systems
  • Explain the residual load approach and flexibility measures
  • Explain short-term wind and PV forecasts for grid operation and energy market transactions
  • Calculate balancing power needs and the reliable PV and wind power capacity with a probabilistic tools
  • Explain frequency and voltage control with PV inverters and wind turbine generators
  • Manage the set-up of a grid and/or system integration study for variable renewable energy
 
Target group:

This training suits those who:

  • Are responsible for power system planning and strategy development in public and private companies and institutions the energy sector
  • Plan and operate transmission and distribution electricity grids
  • Academia who like to learn about grid integration strategies
 
Duration:5 days

Grid integration of variable renewable energy – photo- voltaic and wind power

Grid codes, voltage and frequency control, monitoring, high/ medium/low voltage grids
 


Content:		 
  • Grid code requirement overview
  • Voltage control in power systems, steady state
  • Voltage control in transmission and distribution networks considering wind power and PV, dynamic behaviour
  • Monitoring of system state during actual system operation, re-dispatch and curtailment
  • Frequency control for wind power and PV
  • Grid code compliance procedures applied at different stages of a VRE project
  • Grid study approaches
 

Learning objectives:		 
  • Name impacts of wind power and photovoltaic (VRE) on system planning and operation,
  • Explain grid code requirements for photovoltaic and wind power considering voltage control and frequency control strategies
  • Explain grid code compliance procedures and performance tests for photovoltaic and wind power
  • Establish frameworks for the sustainable and beneficial integration of increasing volumes of renewable-generated electricity into the grid
  • Advise on the associated grid-related challenges
 

Target group:		 
  • Engineers from the public and private sector working in the field of electricity
  • Transmission and distribution grid operators
  • Energy ministries
 
Duration:3 days

Rooftop and open field photovoltaics in distribution grids

PV technology, voltage/frequency control, short-term power forecast, low/medium voltage grids
 


Content:		 
  • Understanding PV technology with regard to distribution grids
  • Voltage control (steady state and dynamic behavior) in low and medium voltage grids
  • Frequency control
  • Short term power forecast of grid connected rooftop PV
 

Learning objectives:		 
  • Determine effects of high shares of PV on the distribution network
  • Understand photovoltaic technology fundamentals with regard to grid integration (MPP-tracking and introduction to inverter technology)
  • Explain voltage (static/dynamic) and frequency concepts with PV
  • Give details of short term power forecast of PV
  • Describe grid code requirements for low and medium voltage grids
 

Target group:		 
  • Senior management positions with distribution grid companies
  • Energy ministries
 
Duration:1 day

Online trainings

Highly resolved scenarios for grid integration of winda and solar power

Tools and methods for developing feed-in time series and grid study scenario development
 


Content:		 
  • Aims and tools for scenario development
  • Scenario development for wind
  • Scenario development for PV
  • Scenario development for CSP
 
Learning objectives:

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

  • Take steps to generate feed-in time series and dynamic modelling of wind and solar
  • Perform scenario simulations (based on numerical weather prediction)
  • Calculate the power output of the total wind/PV/CSP capacity in a specific region
 
Target group:Professionals from the energy sector (engineers)
Duration:Ca. 2 - 4 weeks
Study time:Ca. 25 hours

Short-term prediction of wind and solar power generation

Weather-to-power models, forecast applications and forecast for a grid control centre
 


Content:		 
  • Purpose of short term wind / PV power forecast
  • Area of application
  • Forecast models
  • Forecast errors
  • Forecast for a grid control centre
 
Learning objectives:

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the forecasting of RE generation and flexibility of power plants
  • Distinguish different renewable power forecasting systems
  • Define and calculate forecast errors
 
Target group:Professionals from the energy sector (engineers)
Duration:Ca. 2 - 4 weeks
Study time:Ca. 20 hours

Grid integration studies and system integration studies

Structure and typical questions, modelling, assumptions and recommendations
 


Content:		 
  • Purpose and typical topics
  • Grid integration studies
  • System integration studies
  • Typical scope of work for grid and system integration studies
 
Learning objectives:

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain different types of grid and system integration studies
  • Name relevant aspects and relevant time frames of such studies
  • Paraphrase study methodologies to explore the impact of wind/PV plants on the grid and on power system operation
 
Target group:Professionals from the energy sector (engineers)
Duration:Ca. 3 - 6 weeks
Study time:Ca. 30 hours

Generator concepts for renewables

Synchronous and induction generator, double fed induction generator, fully converted generator and inverter technology
 


Content:		 
  • AC generators
  • DC generators
 
Learning objectives:

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain AC power generation concepts for grid connected fixed and variable speed generators
  • Describe wind turbine concepts, advantages and disadvantages
  • Present PV systems (DC generators, main components, single phase and three phase inverters)
 
Target group:Professionals from the energy sector (engineers)
Duration:Ca. 2 - 4 weeks
Study time:Ca. 20 hours

Balancing power for grid integrarion of renewables

Purposes, reserves types, stochastic functions, outage model
 


Content:		 
  • Balancing power: purpose, types and definitions
  • Calculation model
  • Supply of balancing power
 
Learning objectives:

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the necessity of balancing power and the role of the grid operator
  • Distinguish concepts of primary reserve, secondary reserve and minute reserve
  • Determine balancing power requirements with probability functions
  • Describe auctioning procedures and the Merit Order concept
 
Target group:Professionals from the energy sector (engineers)
Duration:Ca. 2 - 4 weeks
Study time:Ca. 20 hours

Grid codes for renewable power generation

Grid code structure, technical requirements, voltage and frequency control
 


Content:		 
  • Development and purpose
  • Grid code structure
  • Technical requirements
 
Learning objectives:

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the purpose, use and content of grid codes
  • Distinguish Point of Connection (POC) and Point of Common Coupling (PCC)
  • Explain frequency range of operation and voltage range of operation
  • Analyse power quality aspects (e.g. reactive power capability)
 
Target group:Professionals from the energy sector (engineers)
Duration:Ca. 2 - 3 weeks
Study time:Ca. 15 hours

Generation expansion planning of systems with high share of wind and solar power

Generation adequacy, equivalent load carrying capacity, capacity credit, software tools (PLEXOS, WASP)
 


Content:		 
  • Generation adequacy
  • Firm capacity of variable renewable energies
  • Impact of VRE on generator dispatch
  • Standard software tools for generation expansion planning
 
Learning objectives:

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the purpose of generation expansion planning
  • Explain factors influencing the Capacity Credit of VRE
  • Illustrate load duration and Residual Load Duration Curve
  • Name standard software tools: WASP model and PLEXOS model
 
Target group:Professionals from the energy sector (engineers)
Duration:Ca. 2 - 4 weeks
Study time:Ca. 22 hours

Energy storage - application and technology

Battery storage systems and applications, technologies (FES, CAES, PHS, SuperCaps, SMES, TES) and costs
 


Content:		 
  • Terminology and parameters
  • Applications
  • Mechanical energy storage systems
  • Electrical energy storage systems
  • Thermal energy storage systems
  • Chemical energy storage systems
  • Economics of energy storage systems
 
Learning objectives:

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

  • Present the purpose of energy storage and its future role
  • Classify storage technologies
  • Calculate specific costs and compare different economic aspects
  • Explain complementarities of storage systems
 
Target group:Professionals from the energy sector (engineers)
Duration:Ca. 2 - 3 weeks
Study time:Ca. 20 hours

Wind and PV grid integration overview

Variable renewable energy scheduling and operation, grid congestion, capacity planning and grid code parameters
 


Content:		 
  • Time series of variable renewable energies
  • System operation: scheduling and forecasting
  • Balancing power calculation methodology
  • Management of grid congestion
  • Capacity planning
  • Grid code development
  • Grid and system integration studies
 
Learning objectives:

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the use and development of time series for variable renewable energy
  • Present the basics about power system operation, scheduling and forecasting
  • Describe the purpose and types of balancing power and management of grid congestion
  • Discuss capacity planning methodologies, grid codes and the development of grid studies
 
Target group:Professionals from the energy sector (engineers)
Duration:Ca. 2 - 4 weeks
Study time:Ca. 25 hours

Flexibility options for power systems

Variable RE, grid, storage, demand-side integration, dispatchable generation, levelised cost of flexibility, market frameworks
 


Content:		 
  • Power system transformation
  • Flexibility options
  • Cost of flexibility
  • Market frameworks
 
Learning objectives:

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the key role of flexibility in successful power system transformation
  • Describe different flexibility options and name important measures
  • Formulate the framework for a cost-effective power system transformation
 
Target group:

This course suits those who

  • Want to know how to increase the power system flexibility
  • Are involved with power system transition and to integrate vRE
  • Take a holistic view on the power system with vRE
 
Duration:Ca. 2 - 3 weeks
Study time:Ca. 15 hours

Flexible grid infrastructure and management

Power generation based on VRE poses new challenges to the electrical system. Some of these challenges can be addressed by adapting the power system flexibility to the increasing volatile power generation from VRE sources.

 

Content: 
  • Boundary conditions and procedures for grid operation
  • Infrastructure improvements for VRE integration
  • Congestion management with consideration of low carbon emissions
 
Learning objectives:

After completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Identify the technical limits of electrical grids,
  • Describe the most important boundary conditions and procedures for grid operation,
  • Explain which grid infrastructure components allow the transmission and distribution of high shares of VRE generation across the power system, and
  • Analyse congestion management procedures with additional consideration of low carbon emissions.
 
Target group:

This training suits those who:

  • Are involved in grid operation, transmission and distribution with high shares of variable renewable energy (vRE)
  • Want to understand options to manage grid infrastructure with high amount of vRE
  • Need to develop strategies to integrate vRE into grid operation
 
Duration:Ca. 2 - 3 weeks
Study time:Ca. 12 hours

 

Flexible thermal power plants

Flexibility parameters, O&M, retrofit measures, operational costs and market environments
 


Content:		 
  • Dimensions of flexibility
  • Operation and maintenance of flexible power plants
  • Retrofit measures for thermal power plants
  • Implementation and costs
  • Market environments for improved generation flexibility
  • Case studies
 
Learning objectives:

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain what flexible operation of thermal power plants means
  • Describe important technical measures facilitating this mode of operation
  • Determine key success factors for operating flexible thermal power plants in an economically viable way
 
Target group:

This course suits those who

  • Are involved in thermal power plant planning and operation
  • Have to determine the role of thermal power plants in an energy transition (regulatory or political perspective)
  • Prepare various types of studies on vRE system integration
 
Duration:Ca. 1 - 2 weeks
Study time:Ca. 10 hours

Digitalisation and smart technologies for the power sector

Drivers of digitalisation, key technologies, smart generation, risks, cyber security
 

Content: 
  • Energy economics background of digitalisation of the power sector
  • Opportunities and risks of digitalisation for sustainability and decarbonisation
  • Key technologies
  • Smart generation, transmission and consumption
  • Smart markets and process
  • Risks and cyber security
 
Learning objectives:

After completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Identify the areas of the power sector which are most affected by digitalisation,
  • Assess potential advantages for society, the economy, and market participants arising from the digitalisation of the power sector,
  • Identify and explain the most important technologies which form the basis for the current digitalisation of the power sector,
  • Explain how these technologies can be applied in order to optimise generation, transmission, storage and consumption of electrical power,
  • Understand which aspects of digitalisation support decarbonisation and energy efficiency, and which can put these objectives at risk,
  • Demonstrate how digital technologies shape existing markets and processes, and how they may create new ones and
  • Describe the risks arising from increasing digitalisation of the power sector and create counter measures against potential attacks.
 
Target group:

This course suits those who

  • Are involved in the energy sector and want to understand the link between digitalisation and energy
  • Would like to get information about current trends in smart grid development
 
Duration:Ca. 2 - 4 weeks
Study time:Ca. 15 hours

Power-to-X (sector coupling): applications and cost development

Global power generation is increasingly based on renewable energy, with rising shares of electricity from PV and wind power plants included in the generation mix. Yet CO2 emissions from the heating and cooling sector, from passenger and freight transportation, and from industrial appliances are still high. In these sectors, emissions reductions have been relatively limited. The concept of sector coupling, which refers to the use of electricity to provide heating/cooling, mobility, and energy for certain industrial applications, is seen as a promising solution that could provide appropriate forms of energy and industrial feedstocks on a low-emissions basis for these sectors.
 

Content: 
  • Introduction to sector coupling
  • Direct electrification in the heating and cooling sector
  • Direct electrification in the transport sector
  • Indirect use of electricity
  • Regulatory framework
 
Learning objectives:

After completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the purpose of the concept of sector coupling as well as opportunities and challenges associated with the concept, and
  • Compare the status quo of available technologies for sector coupling in the heating/cooling sector and in the transport sector, as well as generally expected future developments regarding technology options and costs.
 
Target group:

This course suits those who

  • Want to gain an overview what Power to X means for different sectors and how these sectors developed
  • Would like to develop grid integration strategies for renewable energy and consider cost trends of power to X
 
Duration:Ca. 2 - 4 weeks
Study time:Ca. 15 hours

 

The integration costs of wind and solar power

Grid costs, balancing costs, plant utilisation, total costs, economic effects
 

Content: 
  • Grid costs
  • Balancing power costs
  • Effects on existing power plant utilisation
  • Total system cost approach
 
Learning objectives:

After completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the concept of integration cost, its purpose, definition and relevant points of discussion,
  • Describe different approaches to the quantification of grid costs, balancing costs and the economic effects on existing conventional power plant utilisation,
  • Specify the range of grid costs, balancing costs and economic effects on existing conventional power plant utilisation, and discuss possible reasons for variations in estimates and
  • Discus the total system cost approach as an alternative for comparing integration cost in different scenarios and identify its strengths and limitations.
 
Target group:

This course suits those who

  • Would like to get detailed insight in the economics of grid integration of wind and PV
  • Want to compare grid integration costs with benchmark data
  • Need to develop grid integration strategies for photovoltaic and wind power
 
Duration:Ca. 2 - 4 weeks
Study time:Ca. 15 hours

Inertia requirements for renewable power systems

Stability and control, importance of inertia, inertia gain, dynamics of generators, dynamical modelling
 

Content: 
  • The concepts of power system stability and control
  • The importance of inertia in renewable power systems
  • Dynamic power system modelling (for experts)
  • Case study (for experts)
 
Learning objectives:

After completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the wider context of inertia’s importance to power system stability,
  • Distinguish the different timescales for frequency control,
  • Differentiate between conventional and renewable power plants, in terms of their control behaviour,
  • Identify and determine relevant dynamic stability measures,
  • Recognise the different standards for frequency stability in different countries,
  • Define inertia (in the context of conventional power plants),
  • Illustrate renewable power system challenges, with respect to inertia,
  • Explain how decreasing inertia changes the frequency gradient,
  • Define measures to increase power system inertia, with or without storage solutions,
  • Operate a software framework for modelling the dynamic stability of power grids, in order to investigate the necessary amount of inertia in relevant power systems,
  • Analyse a case study in the open-source software, powerdynamics.jl, in order to evaluate different solutions to increase inertia and
  • Identify measures for wind and pv generation, which will ensure that inertia does not become a limiting factor in integrating variable renewable energies.
 
Target group:

This course suits those who

  • Are planning distribution and transmission grids with vre,
  • Want to model how wind and pv change the inertia of an interconnected power supply system,
  • Are involved in grid operation and grid planning with wind power and photovoltaic,
  • Need to understand how inertia in the grid is changed by wind and photovoltaic development and
  • Would like to operate a software to model dynamic stability of a model case power grids with wind power and photovoltaic.
 
Duration:Ca. 1 - 2 weeks
Study time:Ca. 10 hours

Protection settings in low and medium voltage grids with distributed generation

Behaviour of protection, calculation methods, planning, testing, monitoring
 

Content: 
  • Electrical behaviour of protection devices and photovoltaic generation systems
  • Grid calculation methods
  • Protection system planning principles
  • Protection testing
  • Compliance monitoring
 
Learning objectives:

After completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the general purpose of protection systems in distribution grids,
  • Name the basic principles of protection systems,
  • Identify the different impacts of renewables integration that impact grid protection scheme design,
  • Identify the most important differences in grid protection systems between low and medium voltage grids,
  • Explain the different kinds of protection systems that are in use today,
  • Describe the different calculation methods used in protection system planning and
  • Derive key success factors for effective protection planning principles when taking into account distributed PV power generation.
 
Target group:

This course suits those who

  • Have an advanced knowledge of electrical engineering
  • Are involved in the distribution grid operation and
  • Want to understand how protection systems have to change if large amount of distributed generation as e.g. photovoltaic is connected to the grid
 
Duration:Ca. 1 - 2 weeks
Study time:Ca. 15 hours

Battery Energy Storage Systems for Grid Ancillary Services

Method for sizing, modelling, time-series simulation, economics, standards
 

Content: 
  • BESS sizing for ancillary services
  • BESS economics in ancillary services
  • BESS performance
 
Learning objectives:

After completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain why small amounts of battery energy storage systems (bess) in ancillary services can reduce the need for thermal must-run power station fraction,
  • Explain when the sizing of a bess is first needed,
  • Identify relevant sources for requirements to size a bess for ancillary services,
  • Carry out a basic sizing methodology, and
  • Extract relevant information from the sizing to evaluate a BESS business case.
 
Target group:

This course suits those who

  • Are involved in the planning of ancillary services
  • Are interested in the rationale for sizing battery energy storage systems for ancillary services
 
Duration:Ca. 2 - 4 weeks
Study time:Ca. 15 hours

Power system planning with Co-benefits 

Traditional and advanced planning, indicators, tools/software overview, modelling approaches


Content:		 
  • Introduction to the power system
  • Indicators and co-benefits in power system planning (PSP)
  • TIPSP methodology
  • Advanced power system planning methodology
  • Advanced integrated power system planning methodology (AIPSP)
  • Comparison of planning tools
  • Power system planning case studies with and without co-benefits
 
Learning objectives:

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

  • Distinguish between traditional and advanced power system planning (PSP) approaches,
  • Compare tools used for power system planning and how co-benefits can be used during the planning process and
  • Explain how selected co-benefits of renewable energy, e.g. tackling climate change and the human health effects of ambient air quality, affect the outcome of power system planning.
 
Target group:

This course suits those who

  • Want to get an overview on power system planning steps and tools used therefore
  • Are involved in roadmaps and strategies for power system development with renewable energy
  • Want to consider co-benefits of renewable energy in power system planning
 
Duration:Ca. 1 - 2 weeks
Study time:Ca. 10 hours