Active participation of wind power in operating reserves

The increasing share of variable renewable energy sources for electricity increases the operating reserve requirements of power systems. This contribution studies the techno-economic feasibility of procuring reserve capacity as an ancillary service from wind power producers. Research and demonstration have shown that wind power is able to meet the technical requirements of providing these balancing services. This study shows how acceptable availability levels can be achieved when using probabilistic forecast models in combination with day-ahead procurement. The participation of wind power is analysed with a unit commitment model in order to determine the impact on generation system scheduling, as well as the electricity generation costs. Simulations show how wind power becomes a potential provider of downward reserve capacity when facing high reserve capacity requirements during periods with low demand and high renewable generation. In contrast, its participation in the upward reserve capacity remains limited, explained by the high opportunity cost.