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Island Power Grids

Maintain stable frequency while simultaneously increasing renewable energy resources

Reducing reliance on fossil-fuel generators and increasing the mix of solar PV and wind power can introduce new grid stability problems unlike those experienced by larger, connected grids. With their tendency to be isolated and vulnerable to highly variable weather events, island power grids face unique challenges characterized by systems with low inertia and spinning reserve.

PXiSE technology is ideally suited to manage the complexities faced by island or isolated utilities looking to increase the amount of renewable energy in their power generation mix.

A graph plotting the rate of change of frequency of low, medium, and high inertia systems with time in seconds on the x-axis and frequency on the y-axis. The steepest curve is that of the low inertia system, which drops from the top to the bottom of the graph in the first few milliseconds, while the high-inertia line only drops halfway down the graph in the first 5-10 seconds.

Relief for low-inertia systems

Island power grids are typically characterized by low inertia. Compared to high inertia systems, low inertia systems experience a far more rapid rate of change of frequency within the first few seconds of an event, making those first few seconds critical to frequency rebalancing efforts.

Speed matters

Speed matters on islanded grids. Renewables add high speed intermittency, which increases spinning reserve, voltage, and frequency regulation response speed requirements. The PXiSE Controller responds within the inertial response time, faster than primary or secondary frequency control times and reduces the need for additional, redundant systems.

The PXiSE Controller considers all the energy resources under its purview, including solar PV, wind, and battery power, to rapidly and accurately dispatch commands that will rebalance the whole system, thereby eliminating the need for separate frequency control resources.

Leveraging high-speed phasor measurement unit data and inverters, PXiSE technology orchestrates a holistic system that manages all power generation sources in aggregate, maximizing the economics and reliability of every component and recalculating in real-time to address variability in weather, load, and generation.

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Aerial view overlooking a large solar PV field in Guam.

The PXiSE advantage

PXiSE controls are designed to autonomously manage both steady-state operation and unexpected disturbances to maintain reliable, consistent frequency on your island power grid.
  • Benefit from system-wide frequency regulation through PXiSE Frequency Watch and inertial frequency regulation services, resulting in rapid response that addresses frequency changes faster than traditional load shedding methods and helps prevent blackouts.
  • Improve frequency stability to prevent and reduce the occurrence of:
    • Equipment damage
    • Over- and underfrequency generation trips
    • Underfrequency load shedding (UFLS)
    • Time drift
  • Coordinate smaller and/or fewer batteries through a single controller for multiple use-cases, reducing capital costs.
  • Address multiple use-cases with one solution, including:
    • Frequency regulation
    • Renewable intermittency smoothing
    • Ramp rate control
    • Voltage support
    • Black start
PXiSE icon - software brain.

BOOK A DEMO

Contact us today to learn more about how PXiSE can address your island power grid frequency management issues and help you reach your renewable portfolio standard goals.