Presentations

Abstract

As wind energy penetration increases, operators face a complex landscape of conflicting control signals arising from grid congestion, market-based balancing needs, and co-location constraints. Conventional control systems often struggle to arbitrate between these simultaneous inputs, leading to suboptimal Annual Energy Production (AEP) or non-compliance with Distribution System Operator (DSO) safety limits. This paper presents a novel, vendor-agnostic control framework designed to automate the prioritization of steering signals for co-located wind and solar assets. Methodology We developed a hierarchical logic controller embedded within a site-level Remote Terminal Unit (RTU). The control algorithm was programmed to process distinct signal categories with strict priority ranking: (1) Emergency congestion signals from the DSO (specifically the Dutch Realtime Interface protocol), (2) Market-based congestion management signals, and (3) Market-based balancing requests. The system simultaneously enforces a local closed-loop control to manage the aggregate injection of co-located wind and photovoltaic (PV) systems, ensuring the combined output never exceeds the physical Grid Connection Point (GCP) limits. The logic further incorporates dynamic ramp rate constraints, specifically validated against the TenneT balancing market requirements.  Results Field validation of the control framework demonstrated robust signal arbitration under high-volatility grid conditions. The system successfully prioritized emergency DSO curtailment commands with $<1 second latency, overriding conflicting market signals to ensure grid security. In non-emergency scenarios, the controller optimized the ramp rates of wind turbines to align with the balancing market constraint, preventing non-compliance penalties. Crucially, in co-located scenarios, the logic dynamically curtailed lower-priority solar generation to preserve wind output when GCP limits were approached, effectively maximizing the total site AEP. Conclusions & Impact The deployment of this independent RTU-based steering logic offers a scalable solution for the "stacking" of revenue streams. By automating the hierarchy of control signals, asset owners can safely participate in balancing markets without risking violations of emergency congestion protocols. This results in lower imbalance costs and increased monetization of wind assets. Furthermore, the demonstrated ability to manage co-located constraints facilitates the seamless integration of battery storage and PV into existing wind parks, maximizing grid utilization without requiring costly infrastructure reinforcement. Learnings:  1. Understand the hierarchy of control signals required to balance emergency DSO constraints with commercial market participation. 2. Analyze methods for managing Grid Connection Point (GCP) limits in co-located wind and solar parks. 3. Learn how independent RTU logic can automate ramp-rate compliance for balancing markets (e.g., TenneT standards).