Consulting on power forecasts in El Salvador and Mexico
develoPPP to improve the integration of renewable energies
Renewable energies are expanding rapidly in Mexico and Central America. In Mexico, the wind energy capacity will triple by 2019 with a growth of 6.300 MW and PV technology is expected to increase by 5.400 MW, thus 20 times the current capacity. This will increase the pressure to respond timely to rapid changes in the energy system. The resulting growing share of fluctuating wind and solar energy must be addressed by distribution and grid operators. To accomplish this, the system and grid operator will respond by incorporating professionally developed power forecasts as the basis for planning and ensuring system stability.
develoPPP: Wind and Solar Power Predictions in El Salvador and Mexico
With support of the program develoPPP from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and in cooperation with the German Agency for International Cooperation Mexico (GIZ), DelSur and CENACE, energy and meteo systems launched the project "Wind and Solar Power Predictions in El Salvador and Mexico" in February 2017.
The project, together with the local partners DelSur (distribution network operator, El Salvador), UT (network operator, El Salvador), EOR (supra-regional market administrator from Guatemala to Panama) and CENACE (Mexican network operator), aims to provide a comprehensive and independent consulting service for optimal integration of professionally generated power forecasts into grid operations, system management and energy trading. Forecasts are not widely applied in Central America or Mexico, but they are an essential element for stable system management and, ultimately allowing – the more accurate the forecasts become – an efficient utilization and improved grid integration of renewable energies. The partners will become familiar with the technical and economic advantages of forecasts and will be instructed on how to independently create tenders for the procurement of this service. They are also informed on how to set up the regulatory framework to ensure the availability of relevant plant data for forecasting.
