Smart Integration of Variable and Intermittent Renewables

Issues such as the cost of compensating for variability and intermittency must be considered (along with limits set by land use) in determining the likely contribution renewables may make to electric power. Here we present a framework that uses frequency domain analysis to elucidate integration characteristics that include the benefit of interconnecting wind plants and the relative amplitude of variability at different time scales of interest. Statements about smoothing of variability by interconnection must consider the time scale involved. Time domain analysis is also used here to estimate the cost of wind variability in ERCOT. Public discourse that addresses the issues cost of compensation needed would be a significant contribution to large scale deployment of renewables.