Generation adequacy assessment

This article has presented a simple method to estimate the impacts of cogeneration sources on the generation system reliability. The studies conducted show that the system EENS is very sensitive to changes in unit F.O.R. values. In general, the inability to dispatch cogenerating unit energy tends to make the system less reliable than it would be with identical units, which are utility controlled. This effect is offset by the inherent increase in reliability associated with a number of small dispersed units rather than a single larger unit. A mix of cogeneration power sources can be used to replace an equal amount of conventional generation without causing a degradation of system reliability. The conditions needed for this to occur are strongly dependent on the capacity and energy distributions for the cogenerating sources. Since this distribution will be dependent on industrial cogeneration potential, no two utilities will react alike. As a result, each utility will need to perform its own analysis of the cogeneration source potential within its system. In conclusion, the method presented in this article can be applied to other renewable energy sources having properties similar to those of cogeneration power.