Heat savings in energy systems with substantial distributed generation

Abstract

In Denmark, the integration of wind power is affected by a large amount of cogeneration of heat and power. With ancillary services supplied by large-scale condensation and combined heat and power (CHP) plants, a certain degree of large-scale generation is required regardless of momentary wind input. A lowered district heating demand and thereby lowered CHP-bound electricity generation would appear to increase the possibility of integration wind power but due to the ancillary services supplied by CHP plants, the situation is in fact the opposite. Heat savings may not be technically feasible, if a certain production is required regardless of whether over-all electricity generation is sufficient. This article analyses this and although heat savings do have a negative impact on the amount of wind power the system may integrate a given moment in certain cases, associated fuel savings are notable and by far supersede the ‘loss’ in wind power integration.