Transition to Smart Grids of Power Supply with Renewable Energy Sources in the Republic of Crimea

Abstract

The paper made an extensive analysis of power generation in the territory of the Republic of Crimea. A special issue is the use of renewable energy sources (RES), in particular wind (WPP) and solar power plants (SPP). The current power generation capacities of the republic are determined and the power deficit is shown, which is currently covered by the electricity of the energy system of the Krasnodar Territory. One of the most important features of the development of the modern world is the increased attention of the world community to the problems of rationality and efficiency in the use of energy resources, the introduction of energy saving technologies and the search for renewable energy sources. In 2021, the countries of the Middle East and Europe increased the capacity of wind and solar power plants several times over. In India, installed renewable energy capacity has exceeded 100 GW. In June-July 2021, solar power generation in the European Union reached a record level and amounted to 39 TWh, an increase of 28%. For most European countries, renewable energy accounts for more than 15% of electricity generation in general. This is due to the fact that in the main markets, renewable, in particular solar electricity, is significantly cheaper than the energy of gas and diesel power plants.For Russia, the southern districts and coastal zones are effective geographical areas for the use of WPPs and SPPs. Thus, the Republic of Crimea is a geographically favorable place for the development of alternative energy.The technical and economic characteristics of SPP and WPP are determined, the current own wind and solar generation is considered in detail. The ways of development and permissible capacities of renewable energy sources in the Crimea are determined. According to the requirements for the systems of regulation, control and protection of renewable energy sources (RES) during their operation as part of the Unified Energy System of Russia, the use of alternative sources of electricity together with the main grid is permissible with their total capacity equal to 20% of the maximum load of the region. Therefore, the development and distribution of renewable energy in the Crimea has a huge potential. The applied systems for integrating RES into the overall energy system are considered, their shortcomings are identified.For the further development of RES in the Crimea, it is proposed to use a model of intelligent integration of SPPs and WPPs into the energy system of the peninsula using solid-state transformers. The use of power transformers for the transmission of electricity from RES to the network significantly reduces the flexibility of the system and eliminates the control of energy parameters. To increase the control capabilities of the output power to the network, as well as to reduce energy costs during voltage transformation, it is proposed to use solid-state transformers (SST) at the inverting stage. The use of SST changes the general principle of power transfer from RES to the network to the following: the DC voltage accumulated in the batteries of WPP and SPP is fed through a high-frequency inverter to a pulse transformer, where it rises to the voltage of the power line. Then it is rectified and inverted to the required mains frequency. Modern power semiconductor components may well provide such a model for integrating RES into the grid. The proposed model is distinguished by the presence of effective control of energy parameters, as well as high efficiency.