Powering Europe - European Wind Energy Association

available for dealing with variable demand and supply
that are already in place are more than adequate for
dealing with wind power supplying up to 20% of electricity
demand, depending on the specific system and
geographical distribution. For higher penetration levels,
changes may be needed in power systems and
the way they are operated to accommodate more wind
energy.
Experience with wind power in areas of Spain, Denmark,
and Germany that have large amounts of wind
energy in the system, shows that the question as to
whether there is a potential upper limit for renewable
penetration into the existing grids will be an economic
and regulatory issue, rather than a technical one.
For those areas of Europe where wind power development
is still in its initial stages, many lessons can
chApTEr 1 INtrODUctION:aeUrOpeaNVISION
be learned from countries with growing experience, as
outlined in this report. However, it is important that
stakeholders, policy makers and regulators in emerging
markets realise that the issues that TSOs in Spain,
Denmark and Germany are faced with will not become
a problem for them until much larger amounts of wind
power are connected to their national grids.
The issues related to wind power and grid integration
mentioned in this report are based on a detailed overview
of best practices, past experiences, descriptions
and references to technical and economic assessments.
The report collects and presents detailed facts
and results, published in specialised literature, as well
as contributions from experts and actors in the sector.
The aim is to provide a useful framework for the current
debates on integrating wind power into the grid.
7