Solutions
Renewables+
Maximise the value of renewable energy sources
Renewable energy integration with sophisticated technology
Wärtsilä's Renewables+ solution integrates solar, wind (and other project-specific generation assets) with energy storage
In working towards Wärtsilä Energy’s goal of a 100% renewable energy future, energy storage is becoming increasingly critical to help strengthen the reliability and flexibility of the grid and to integrate more renewable power into the system.
The combination of renewables and storage makes it possible to produce smooth power output when needed, minimising impacts on grid stability.
Optimised operations with renewable energy sources
Wärtsilä’s Renewables+ hybrid solution delivers firmed, 24-hour capable and fully dispatchable solar energy to the electrical grid in optimised ways
Globally, the rapidly growing installed base of utility scale photovoltaic (PV) plants has led to the decreasing tariffs and incentive schemes offered. This has created profitability pressures in highly competitive business environment for the investors. Additionally, ever growing share of intermittent renewable power generation feeding electricity to the grid has created grid stability challenges for the utilities and further requirements for smooth grid integration and operation is demanded from the power plant owners.
Wärtsilä’s Renewables+ solution combines PV power generation, wind (and other project-specific generation assets) with energy storage.
The GEMS Power Plant Controller oversees and controls the Renewables+ storage hybrid plant functions. The solution is capable of dispatching or storing real power and absorbing or injecting reactive power in optimised ways via the GEMS platform.
The solution’s application list is complete and flexible for future changes in market structures and tariffs. Applications can be stacked (i.e., perform simultaneously), prioritised and scaled according to market and project requirements.
- Storage enables PV energy to be dispatched at will
- Mitigate curtailment or clipping
- Smart/AI-enabled control via GEMS can support a variety and combination of applications to maximise the value of the energy product by the power plant
AC vs. DC
AC-coupled: Conventional PV and ESS inverter
- Batteries can be charged from grid or from PV through PV inverter
- Curtailed energy can be stored by the batteries but clipping still occurs due to PV inverter rating
- With PV and ESS inverter efficiency ~98%, one-way losses to store energy equal ~4%
DC-coupled: Conventional PV inverter + battery DC/DC converter
- Batteries can only be charged from PV
- Curtailed and/or clipped energy can be stored by the batteries as it can move directly from PV array to the battery DC/DC converter
- With PV inverter efficiency ~98% and DC/DC converter efficiency ~99%, one-way losses to store energy equal ~3%
Renewables+ Resources
Video
Artificial Intelligence for 100% Renewable Energy
In the race towards 100% renewable energy, islands will show us the way, and machine learning will play a key role. Learn more about how AI is supporting energy optimisation on island grids.