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Power generators and transmission system engineers have to rethink their planning strategies and must continue to develop tools to allow more solar, wind, and other forms of renewable energy to populate the power grid.

Integrating renewable energy resources such as solar and wind into the electric power grid involves addressing challenges, starting with the intermittent nature of renewables. POWER has often highlighted the issues, noting in part a lack of physical grid capacity to accommodate supply and demand in locations with the best resources. Another issue is that as the share of renewable energy increases, the lack of real-time network management at low voltages can bring network instability, which impacts reliability. Other problems include voltage instabilities, frequency inconsistency, and harmonic distortion of the power system.

This often requires projects to modernize the grid, along with the use of new technologies for both asset and grid management. Utilities and grid operators are utilizing energy storage, often at substations along the grid, to ensure reliable and efficient electricity delivery. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) also is supporting the addition of solar, wind, hydropower, and more to grids worldwide, as utilities and other power generators seek ways to utilize an ever-growing supply of data from renewable energy assets.

¡°One of the most widely acknowledged challenges with renewable integration is the variability and unpredictability of generation. Wind and solar do not always align with demand¡ªsolar generation peaks mid-day, while peak demand often comes in the evening,¡± said Bryan Schurko, strategic growth leader of Power Delivery at Â鶹´«Ã½.?