(572f) Examining the Variability of Load, Wind, and Solar Power in the Regulation Timeframe

The integration of variable renewable power sources (wind and solar) has been a source of concern for power system operators because of the variability and uncertainty of the power output.  However, power system operators are already used to accommodating variable and uncertain load.  One way that the impacts of load variability and uncertainty are mitigated at is through the holding of reserves that can quickly increase or decrease generation to mirror changes in demand.  At small timescales this is known as regulation reserve.  Increasing the amount of regulation reserve needed for higher levels of wind and solar penetration implies that the wind and solar power changes that occur in the four second to five minute timescale are correlated.  In this work we examine the distribution of changes in load, wind power, and solar power for different timescales in the regulation timeframe.  Additionally, the correlation between changes in power output for individual wind turbines in a wind plant and solar arrays in a solar plant are examined.  Power spectral density analysis has also been performed on the data to quantify the differences in power output character at different geographic scales.