Generic models for simulation of wind power plants in bulk system planning studies

The need for generic, standard, non-proprietary models for wind power plants continues to be the subject of much discussion and debate. From a technical point of view, the representation of the often complex dynamic behavior of modern wind power plants is not trivial. However, system planners and compliance organizations continue to struggle with the process deficiencies associated with the black-box and proprietary nature of manufacturer-specific models. For several years, the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) has championed the development of generic models for wind power plant models, and the progress to date is reported in this document. Recently, other organizations including the International Electromechanical Commission (IEC), manufacturers, software developers, and even utilities have been pursuing similar technical goals. It is anticipated that, through the collective efforts of these stakeholders, generic models will fulfill a much needed gap. This paper reports on the progress made to-date within the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) regarding the development of generic models suitable for representing wind power plants in typical transmission planning studies. The manuscript address technical issues associated with the representation of wind turbine generators for load flow and transient stability analyses. Current capabilities and envisioned enhancements to existing models are also discussed.