Reviewed by Lexie CornerNov 7 2024
Recent research from Trinity College Dublin’s School of Engineering suggests that power grids with a high penetration of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, are not more susceptible to blackouts. In fact, these grids often experience less severe blackouts, even during extreme weather events. These findings were published in Nature Energy.
This study presents an optimistic perspective on the vulnerability of power grids reliant on weather-dependent renewable energy sources (WD-RESs) as countries around the world work toward meeting their climate emissions targets. The findings reveal that grids with high levels of WD-RESs tend to have reduced blackout intensities in the US.
Analyzing blackout data from the US from 2001 to 2020, the research offers significant insights for nations transitioning to power grids that predominantly utilize WD-RESs.
For example, in 2023, renewable sources accounted for 38.9 % of Ireland's electricity generation, and this figure is projected to surpass 70 % by 2030.
While the challenges posed by fluctuating renewable energy generation have been widely discussed in the context of the global energy transition, the specific role of WD-RESs in relation to blackouts has remained a contentious issue.
Some have claimed that unstable RESs are responsible for increasing power grid unreliability under extreme climate conditions, whereas others have argued that wind and solar generation tend to be available even during extreme weather.
Jin Zhao, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin
Prof. Zhao, who led the study, adds: “The lack of understanding of the impacts of WD-RESs on power system blackouts has raised doubts about their use and, in some cases, driven a backlash against wind and solar integration. Considering the ambitious high-RES penetration and carbon emission goals that have been set for future power systems, it was high time we improved our understanding of the role RESs play in blackouts.”
The research revealed that power systems with a higher penetration of weather-dependent renewable energy sources (WD-RES) did not exhibit increased vulnerability to blackouts. When blackouts did occur, their intensity—measured by the number of affected customers, demand loss, and duration—was lower in grids with high WD-RES penetration.
Additionally, while the analysis indicated that extreme weather events increase a power system’s susceptibility to blackouts, a high penetration of WD-RES did not worsen this weather-related vulnerability. This finding holds true even when specifically examining weather-induced blackouts.
The major take-home message here is that WD-RESs are not the main culprit for blackouts during extreme weather events, and the higher penetration grids tend to experience lower blackout intensities when they do occur.
Jin Zhao, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin
“This is promising from an Irish perspective, although we are a lower-inertia island system that could be more sensitive than the large interconnected systems like those seen in the US and in the power systems of continental Europe. All of this makes it super important to specifically focus on our Irish power system with similar research, and that is the next step for us – we have recently secured funding to do just that,” Prof. Zhao concluded.