Introduction of Wind Power Generation into the First Course in Power Systems

This paper argues in favor of a new course dealing with wind energy for power engineering students within the framework of a broader integration of renewable energy technologies into the power engineering curricula. The paper starts by expounding the rationale for such a course and its core contents. The elements of the electromechanical energy conversion process, as they relate to the performance of wind generation plants on an interconnected system, form the basis of the course. The material also includes approaches for assessing wind energy resource and the steps necessary for estimating its economic viability. The course is intended to convey a holistic purview of wind energy from the system perspective.