Distributed generation and renewable energy systems

The impending deregulated environment facing the electric utilities in the twenty first century is both a challenge and an opportunity for a variety of technologies and operating scenarios. This paper will discuss the primary factors leading to increasing interest in distributed generation (DG) in recent years. After enumerating the promising DG technologies, the role of renewable energy systems in DG is examined in detail. The renewable energy systems considered will include wind-electric conversion systems (WECS), photovoltaic systems (PV), and systems utilizing biomass in various forms, including fuel cells. General benefits of employing DG are succinctly outlined, followed by a discussion of the specific advantages and disadvantages of the different renewable energy technologies considered. An approach to quantify some of the benefits of DG is proposed and applied to specific examples. The results are discussed and suggestions are made for using this approach to identify the best locations and ratings for DG installations.