Wind power expansion and security assessment: A 2020 scenario in Sardinia

The integration of larger and larger amounts of wind and solar power is a major target of the European Union. However adding renewable generation brings about a variable and only partly predictable source of power generation to a power system that has to balance generation and varying demand at all times. This represents a challenge for power system planning and operation. To this regard, different approaches (ranging from more conservative deterministic procedures to more refined probabilistic algorithms) have been proposed to assess the maximum penetration level of renewable sources (especially wind power) in power systems. The paper presents a procedure aimed at evaluating the maximum wind power which can be integrated in the Sardinian power system in relation to frequency stability issues, with different assumptions involving the regulation capability of wind farms at a 2020 scenario.