Energy system impact of wind power with curtailment

Abstract

With an increasing share of variable renewable energies in the power production, curtailment may become relevant to better manage the power system. Here, we explore the effects of wind power curtailment on the energy system composition and operation on two levels: national (Finland) and city level (Helsinki). For each level, optimization-based models were used. The results indicate that increasing the amount of wind power and curtailment and implementing power-to-heat conversion may not automatically lead to positive effects, such as emission reductions, but may need additional measures such as higher CO2 emission pricing and more effective heat generation (heat pumps) to realize the full benefits.