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Energy Systems Integration Group

The Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG), previously known as the Utility Wind Integration Group (UWIG), was established in 1989 to provide a forum for the critical analysis of wind for utility applications. Initially focused on wind power, UWIG expanded its focus to include solar power and distributed generation and become known as the Utility Variable-Generation Integration Group in 2011. In 2018, driven by the economics and growth of renewable energy and the interdependent nature of the global energy industry, the association expanded its focus beyond the electricity system of today. These expanding perspectives around energy, and the growing need for coordination across the ways that we produce, convert, deliver and use energy, are the reasons we have become the Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG).

Energy Systems Integration Group
Electricity systems of the future will require more seamless integration between distribution-level and transmission-level resources. But after a decade of more concerted efforts to bring these two parts of the electricity system closer together, there are still persistent gaps between them. How can these gaps be narrowed over the next decade? Where and what should we prioritize? With a focus on the U.S., this talk will discuss the rationale for better operational, market, and regulatory integration of transmission and distribution systems, explore principles and metrics for thinking about integration, and examine priority integration challenges and potential solutions in several areas: access, interconnection, resource adequacy, retail tariffs, utility regulation, and wholesale market design.
Webinar: Grand Unification Integrating the Distribution and Transmission Systems
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Featured Speaker: Michael Walsh, Chief Commercial Officer, Smart Wires Webinar Abstract: Modular power flow control provides a uniquely effective approach to help renewable generation developers and asset owners address their most challenging transmission needs. The modern, power-electronics-based version of these devices, built upon decades of grid experience, helps balance network flows by pulling or pushing power through capacitive or inductive voltage injection. When new generation seeks grid interconnection, it routinely requires network upgrades to enable firm export of power. Under business-as-usual transmission planning strategies, these upgrades can be extensive because much of the grid was not designed for distributed, intermittent, renewable generation. Reconductors, substation refurbishments or new lines are all costly, traditional solutions that can take many years to complete due to permitting and other challenges. Yet significant latent capacity exists in most networks around the world, a recent study by the Brattle Group highlights how this technology can dramatically improve the scale of renewable generation integration in the Southwest Power Pool network. Modular power flow control has proven to help utilities plan and operate their grid to leverage this capacity, enabling new generation to be connected must faster and more cost-effectively – supporting regulatory targets while benefiting ratepayers and developers alike. In a recent deployment with National Grid Electric Transmission in the UK, modular power flow control enabled 1.5 GW of renewable generation to access the London metro area by increasing utilization of the existing transmission capacity. Solutions like this one allow rapid deployment scaling, in line with phased generation connection, further reducing upfront capital burden on developers. These standard offerings can generally be installed in 1 year or less, alleviating thermal overload-induced congestion to improve the financial feasibility of previously uneconomic renewable energy projects.
Webinar: Connect Faster: Improving Renewable Energy Integration With Modular Power Flow Control
YouTube Video VVVIZkJrZW42VVZ1Q0pRbUFmR3YxdkpBLk5MWFV3LW53Vndj
Featured Speakers: Yinong Sun, Energy Systems Modeler and Analyst, NREL Todd Levin, Energy Systems Engineer, Argonne National Laboratory Andrew Mills, Research Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Robin Hytowitz, Grid Ops & Planning, EPRI Benjamin Hobbs,  O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute, Johns Hopkins University Webinar Abstract: A consortium of researchers that includes Argonne National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Electric Power Research Institute, and Johns Hopkins University has been collaborating on a project to provide technical assistance and research to guide the Independent System Operator (ISO) and Regional Transmission Organizations (RTO), and their stakeholders, on the evolution anticipated as supportive of future electricity markets. The team has been working closely with a set of advisors from the U.S. ISOs and RTOs to advise on the needed R&D to support a reliable and economically efficient electricity market of the future. As part of the project, the team developed a comprehensive report on six important aspects of these regions. For each of the six areas the report included: a literature review on existing practices, literature review on relevant research to date, key initiatives under way at the ISOs to make improvements, and remaining challenges that still need to be addressed to meet the needs of the future electric power system. The report also included the summary of several survey discussions on the most important needs from key stakeholders. The remaining challenges are the focus of the ongoing R&D that the team is working toward for the three-year project. This webcast will provide a summary of the report for listeners.
Webinar: Research Opportunities Around the Evolution of ISO/RTO Wholesale Electricity Markets
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Featured Speakers: Andrew D. Mills, Research Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Joachim (Jo) Seel, Senior Scientific Engineering Associate, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Webinar Abstract: With continued deployment of solar across the United States, assessing the interactions of solar with the power system is an increasingly important complement to studies tracking the cost and performance of solar plants. This presentation focuses on the historical contribution to reliability, trends in market value, and impacts on the bulk power system of solar deployed in the U.S. through the end of 2019 with preliminary data for 2020. Specifically we will cover growth in solar generation and associated market penetration as well as solar’s contributions to resource adequacy based on various calculation methods. We will present solar’s energy and capacity value, market value decline with growing solar penetration, and overall competitiveness relative to solar’s PPA prices and LCOE estimates. Finally we will highlight the implications of solar growth for wholesale price patterns, ancillary service requirements, changes to net-load ramps, and overall demand for increased flexibility. The scope of this analysis includes the seven organized U.S. wholesale power markets and is based on historical hourly solar generation profiles for each individual plant larger than 1 MW or county-level aggregate profiles for smaller solar. In addition, we present a limited set of results for ten utilities that are outside of the independent system operator (ISO)/regional transmission organization (RTO) markets. More information (a technical report, briefings, underlying data, and interactive visualizations) can be found at https://emp.lbl.gov/renewable-grid-insights.
Webinar: Solar to Grid - Market Value and Bulk Power Impacts of US Solar Through 2019
YouTube Video VVVIZkJrZW42VVZ1Q0pRbUFmR3YxdkpBLlVIOXNyQzFhZHlR
Featured Speaker: Niall Mac Dowell, Professor, Energy Systems Engineering, Imperial College London About the Webinar: Following the terms of the Paris Agreement, an increasing number of countries worldwide are adopting legally binding “net zero” targets, i.e., a requirement to reduce emissions of CO2 to net zero by approximately 2050. While precise dates vary (Finland is aiming at 2035, the EU is aiming at 2050, and China is targeting 2060), all are challenging targets. Across the board, the ambitious deployment of renewable energy resources, alongside initiatives towards the electrification of mobility, heating, and the industrial sector, are core elements of the “net zero strategy.” As this increases the integration of the broader energy system, resilience of the grid becomes increasingly important. Core to ensuring grid resilience is the ability of supply and demand to interact flexibly, potentially through energy storage, and demand side response, among other options. These ideas, and more are explored in this webinar.
Webinar: Electrification and Industrial Sources of System Balancing Flexibility
YouTube Video VVVIZkJrZW42VVZ1Q0pRbUFmR3YxdkpBLjhxZ1I0c05yUmNz
Featured Speakers: Cornelius Heck, Team Leader for Stability Analysis and Large Projects in Strategic Grid Planning, 50Hertz Transmission GmbH Dr. Florian Sass, Electrical Engineer for Operational Concepts, 50Hertz Transmission GmbH Roman Hinz, Asset Management, 50Hertz Transmission GmbH Webinar Abstract: With the political decision to phase out all coal, lignite and nuclear power plants within the next 10-15 years, Germany faces a massive disruption in generation technology. So far the mentioned conventional power plants provide the majority of non-frequency ancillary services. This webinar will give an overview of the challenges posed upon the East-German Transmission System. Also it will present the current strategy to overcome said challenges with special regards to voltage regulation and inertia provided by grid-forming STATCOM. Hereby the webinar will take you on a journey from current system operation experience, over strategic grid-planning need identification to asset specification.
G-PST/ESIG Webinar Series: STATCOM Strategy and Application in East Germany
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Energy Adequacy and Market Design – The Texas Event Part 2 Chair: Erik Ela, Principal, EPRI NERC Energy Resource Adequacy Task Force (ERATF) Mark Lauby, Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer, NERC Viewed from the Intersection of the Electric and Gas Systems Beth Garza, Senior Fellow, R Street Institute The Resource Adequacy Angle Through a New Lens Derek Stenclik, Founding Partner, Telos Energy What Difference Would a Macrogrid Make? Michael Goggin, Vice President, Grid Strategies What Role Did Market Design Play? Steve Berberich, Consultant
2021 Meteorology & Market Design Workshop Closing Plenary Session
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Chair: Aidan Tuohy, Program Manager, EPRI Update from the DOE Solar Forecasting Program Tassos Golnas, Technology Manager, Solar Energy Technology Program Use of Wind/Solar/Load Forecasts in Operations Nitika Mago, Manager, Electric Grid Operations, ERCOT Present and Future Operation of the Ireland Power System Damian Flynn, Associate Professor, University College Dublin, Ireland Use of Forecasts in Reserve Allocation Rhett Trease, Engineer, Duke Energy
2021 Meteorology & Market Design Workshop Session 8: Forecasting, Reserve Requirements & System Ops
YouTube Video VVVIZkJrZW42VVZ1Q0pRbUFmR3YxdkpBLnpvbVdNTE9NNC1R
Featured Speaker: Ben Sigrin, Energy Systems Modeling Engineer, NREL Webinar Abstract: Forecasting the adoption and operation of distributed energy resources (DER), e.g., rooftop PV, at fine spatial resolution is an integral part of distribution system (DSP) and integrated resource planning (IRP). Two approaches are emerging: simulating realistic, but statistically representative end-users at regional or transmission scale planning, or, simulating actual end-users for specific power systems, typically in distribution planning. Both approaches face tradeoffs in the ease of access to the tools for practitioners versus the substantial computational and data challenges in simulating thousands to millions of heterogeneous end-users. Join us to learn more about NREL data, tools, and analysis on DER planning, including the recently open-sourced dGen model.
Webinar: Better Planning for Future DER Adoption
YouTube Video VVVIZkJrZW42VVZ1Q0pRbUFmR3YxdkpBLjFFQXlKQ09ySktv
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