Technical challenges, security and risk in grid integration of renewable energy

Renewable energy sources, especially wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) are well on the way to dominate power systems as their penetration levels are increasing at a staggering rate in many countries. Consequently, utilities around the world are discussing and conducting feasibility studies of “100 %” renewable energy based power systems. Even though a very high penetration level of renewable energy looks plausible, the technical challenges associated with them could be a hindrance to the seamless integration. This chapter focuses on technical challenges associated with the grid integration of renewable energy and they are classified as challenges in the distribution and transmission systems, respectively. Most of the PV integration is happening in the distribution system while wind integration can also be in the transmission system. This chapter also highlights security concerns and associated risks, which are categorized as technical and non-technical issues. Finally, the chapter summarizes the way forward for the renewable energy integration in power systems.