Many utilities would like to increase the percentage of renewable energy within their power portfolios. This study focused on how that might be achieved with wind power and in particular the problem of variability. Recent articles have suggested that aggregating the output of multiple wind farms could smooth the output and lower the variability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of aggregating wind farms in the New England region. We analyzed three years of output from a diverse group of wind farms and found that smoothing does occur in aggregation to some degree. Furthermore, the analysis showed that New England utilities can increase the percentage of wind power within their portfolios without increasing their exposure to variability.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Dalton, James Eugene
• Jaworski, Nathan
• Maqsood, Hanin

Subject

• Infrastructure
• Sustainability
• Industry
• Energy

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-022813-120031

Keyword

• Sustainable development--Social aspects
• Sustainability
• Wind power

Advisor

• Looft, Fred J.
• Lauer, Hugh C

Year

• 2013

Date created

• 2013-02-28

Location

• Worcester

Resource type

• Interactive Qualifying Project

Rights statement

• In Copyright