INESC Porto Assesses the Impact of Renewable Energy on Madeira
INESC Porto is conducting a study on the behaviour of the electricity system on the Islands of Madeira and Porto Santo for the Madeira Electricity Company (EEM). The study began in June of this year and aims to assess the impact of the significant increase in the use of renewable energy on the islands and propose appropriate solutions to mitigate these effects.
04th October 2011
The continuous increase in the integration of renewable energy (principally wind and solar energy) on the Islands of Madeira estimated until 2020 motivated EEM to request technical consulting services.
With a high level of growth in the quantity of renewable energy being integrated it is important to invest in storage capacity and hydraulic systems with pumps that make it possible to transfer energy generated during non peak times to peak times.
This study, headed by INESC Porto, will be divided into two parts. The first phase will be to evaluate the need for the hydraulic systems with pump systems based on variable frequency technology in the new reversible water systems that will be introduced by EEM. This type of technology will make the system more flexible with regard to variations in the level of renewable energy generated and it will help guarantee that the system remains operational if a short circuit should occur.
In the second phase, the study will focus on assessing the adequacy of the storage volume and the power that will be installed in the energy generating/pumping equipment at the water facilities. This stage of the project will make it possible to identify pumping options based on the storable energy and the power installed. This will then make it possible to reduce waste for renewable energy in accordance with the agreed criteria.
The project is currently being implemented and João Peças Lopes, the director of INESC Porto, and Carlos Moreira will be coordinating the project with support from Maria Helena Vasconcelos and Mauro Rosa.
Source: BIP September 2011