Probabilistic Reliability Calculations for the Grid Connection of an Offshore Wind Farm

Probabilistic reliability calculations are widely spread for the design of distribution networks. This paper deals with the application of probabilistic reliability calculations to assess the impact of the grid connection on the overall reliability of wind farm power production. A characteristic of the grid connections of offshore wind farms is almost no redundancy. The main intention of the presented study is to evaluate the grid connection´s influence on the wind power infeed into the public grid and to carry out weak-spot analyses revealing these components of the grid connection, which are decisive for reliability. Since some of the reliability input parameters are not known up to now and experience with offshore equipment is rare, a parameter study has been performed