Investigating Frequency Stability Challenges in Non-Interconnected Renewable-Rich Islands

This study explores the challenges of frequency insta-bility in isolated island power systems predominantly powered by fluctuating renewable sources like solar panels and wind turbines. These non-interconnected islands with a high reliance on renewa-bles are prone to significant frequency fluctuations due to the var-iable nature of renewable energy sources and their inherently low inertia. The academic community has identified fast-reacting en-ergy storage systems, such as batteries and pump storage, as potential solutions to offset these frequency variations through rapid frequency response services during power imbalances. However, simulations conducted in this paper, suggest that storage systems might struggle to effectively counter severe frequency excursions. This limitation stems from inherent delays in measurement, computation, and communication within their control systems. To im-prove the stability of these renewable-heavy, non-interconnected islands, we propose a viable approach: integrating renewables be-hind the energy storage systems. This method totally decouples re-newables from the grid, ensuring that the network frequency and the rotational speed of thermal generators remain unaffected by abrupt changes in renewable power output. Adopting this strategy could facilitate the integration of additional renewable energy sources in non-interconnected islands without compromising the stability of their power systems.