THE IMPACT OF HOURLY RESOLUTION CALCULATIONS ON THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PLANNING PROCESS

It is widely known that the precision of the input data and assumptions made before starting the analyses significantly affect the efficiency and reliability of the transmission system planning process. One of the key factors in this process is the resolution of the calculation, or, to say, the number of working regimes during the observed year for which the relevant analyses are performed. In earlier planning processes, calculations were conducted exclusively on the simulation models that represent characteristic operational regimes, defined primarily by the characteristics of the consumption in the system. As one of the most important improvements in the process of making the Transmission System Development Plan, we can point out the usage of models with hourly resolution, that is, models that represent every hour in the future year of interest. By applying such models, it is possible to monitor changes in consumption, the behavior of variable renewable energy sources and the impact that these variations have on the rest of the system, with a special focus on high loadings on the elements of the transmission system and possible congestions that could occur as a result. Accordingly, the paper will look at the results obtained by applying hourly models and the results obtained by running the calculations on the previously used characteristic models, with the analyses focusing on several selected regions of the system. Special attention will be paid to demonstrating the impact of the improved methodology on the enhancement of the process of making investment decisions and optimizing the deployment of available resources of the transmission system operator.