Abstract: Renewable energy systems are presently undergoing a rapid change in technology and use. Both the wind turbine and photovoltaic (PV) technology have an almost exponential growth in installed capacity. Now renewable energy systems are a major contributor to the grid power and they have to contribute to the overall grid control. Such a feature is enabled clearly by power electronics. This presentation will discuss the development in renewable energy systems (Mainly wind and PV), how power electronics is enabling the technologies to become a real power source for the grid system and also which demands can be expected in the future for such systems. Finally the expected trends in power electronics technology for renewable energy systems will be discussed.

Biography: Frede Blaabjerg received the M.Sc.E.E. degree from Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, in 1987, and the Ph.D. degree from the Institute of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, in 1995. From 1987 to 1988, he was with ABB-Scandia, Randers. He is currently with Aalborg University, where he became an Assistant Professor in 1992, an Associate Professor in 1996, a Full Professor of power electronics and drives in 1998, and the Dean of Faculty of Engineering and Science in 2006. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Power Electronics and Danish journal Elteknik. His current research interests include power electronics, static power converters, ac drives, switched reluctance drives, modeling and characterization of power semiconductor devices and simulation, wind turbines, and green power inverters. He has authored or coauthored more than 300 papers including the book Control in Power Electronics (Academic Press, 2002).

Dr. Blaabjerg has held a number of Chairman positions in research policy and research funding bodies in Denmark. He is an Associate Editor of the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS and the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS. In 2006, he became the Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS. He received the 1995 Angelos Award for his contribution in modulation technique and control of electric drives, and theAnnual Teacher Prize at Aalborg University in 1995. In 1998, he received the Outstanding Young Power Electronics Engineer Award from the IEEE Power Electronics Society. He had received five IEEE Prize Paper Awards during the last six years. He received the C.Y. O’Connor Fellowship 2002 from Perth, Australia, the Statoil-Prize in 2003 for his contributions in power electronics, and the Grundfos Prize in 2004 for his contributions in power electronics and drives.

Abstract: The presentation focuses on the challenging opportunity for reverting from CO2 capturing a sequestration into CO2 utilisation and fuel re-synthesis. The concept exploits existing reaction paths, such as reversed water gas shift reaction and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to convert correspondingly CO2 to CO and the syn-gas to olefins. It analysis several feedstock’s options and discusses opportunities for bio-waste gasification products utilisation and subsequent fuel/intermediates separation options. It challenges the energy generation potential of wind power compared to CO2 absorption from wind/air. The presentation proposes application of micro-reactor based catalytic conversion for faster, safer, environmentally friendly, efficient and promising technology compared to large scale production. Thus it promotes the “utopian” distributed fuel generation concept. The distributed generation choice restricts the feedstock sources, but supports versatile solutions. In parallel with sufficiently concentrated and clean CO2, important feedstock for the fuel re-synthesis is the hydrogen. In the case of distributed generation the discussion focuses on motorcar generated hydrogen and possibility for oxy-fuelled power generation as an alternative for purer CO2 production.

Biography: Toshko Zhelev is a professor at the Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, University of Limerick, Ireland. He has his primary degree in Chemical Engineering and Masters in Chemical Cybernetics from Moscow University of Chemical Technology. His PhD is in the area of Energy conservation from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. He holds a position of a Visiting professor at the University of Surrey, UK and a position of Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Toshko is member of the CAPE Working party – branch of the European Federation of Chemical Engineers and a member of the Executive board of its educational branch EURECHA. In his home university he is a director of the postgraduate program known as Graduate Diploma in Chemical Engineering. He is a member of the executive board of the Charles Parsons Institute in Energy and Sustainable Environment. Toshko’s interests are in areas such as process systems engineering, process integration and sustainable industrial resources management.

Abstract: The challenges the world is facing with relation to energy supply, sustainability and climate change are huge and need no further explanation. However the question arises whether or not our present organization of R&D funding is appropriate for dealing with those huge challenges. The call for innovation and breakthroughs in science and technology is loud, but we tend to forget about innovation and breakthroughs in the way we organize institutions and R&D funding to reach those objectives.

In this presentation an attempt is made to systematically analyze the different forms of integration that can be applied to design and develop new energy systems, as well as the potential breakthroughs it might generate and the changes in R&D policy that are needed to facilitate this integrated approach. Six forms of integration are to be distinguished: i) Integration of components into a system, ii) Integration of energy sources into Multi-Source Multi-Product energy systems, iii) Integration of industries into eco-parks. [industrial ecology], iv) Integration of new technology into existing technology, v) Integration of sectors, vi) Integration of functions.

Examples of each form of integration are given. It is argued that a more open definition of energy research topics is needed and that exploring the above named forms of integration would be more appropriate to increase the chances of success for real breakthroughs and paradigm shifts that are absolutely necessary to meet the demands imposed on our present and future energy systems.

Biography: Kas Hemmes received a master’s degree in experimental and theoretical physics in 1983 from Groningen University in the area of metal physics (high cycle fatigue and precipitation hardening). His PhD thesis was on the subject of perpendicular magnetic recording, received at Twente University in 1986. After his PhD work he became assistant professor and later associate professor in the department of materials science of TU Delft, responsible for the Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell projects carried out within the framework of the national fuel cell research program for 15 years. As of November 2001 he joined the section Energy and Industry of the faculty Technology, Policy and Management, among others responsible for the Dutch Greening of Gas project; a large feasibility study on the addition of hydrogen into the natural gas grid in the Netherlands. Since 1 October 2005 he joined the section Technology Dynamics and Sustainable Development of the same faculty, working on innovative energy systems in the wider context of sustainability.

Abstract: Continuous depletion of crude oil supply and the gradual increase in oil prices have emphasized the need for a suitable alternative to our century- old oil-based economy. A clean and efficient power-supply device based on a renewable energy source must be available to address this issue. Among the different technological alternatives, fuel cell (FC) power generation becomes a more and more interesting and promising solution for both automotive industry and stationary power plants. However, many technological hurdles must still be overcome prior to the development of industrial and competitive products in these fields. This presentation gives an overview of these challenging issues addressing different technological fields.

Biography: Samir Jemeï was born in 1977 in Belfort, France. He received an electrical master thesis from the University of Franche Comté, Belfort, France, in 2001. He received a PhD in engineering sciences from the University of Franche Comté and the University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard, France, in 2004. Since 2005, he is a research engineer and works on fuel cell systems for transportation in the Fuel Cell Lab Institute of Belfort, France, with the Energy team (ENISYS/FEMTO-ST). His main research activities deal with fuel cell systems dedicated to automotive applications; modelling, fuel cell system characterization, and compressor.

Abstract: The present wind energy penetration into the electrical network has forced system operators to adapt their Grid Codes to this new generation, preventing an unacceptable effect on the system safety and reliability.

One of these new connection requirements regarding wind energy is fault ride-through capability. In the past, wind generators were not allowed to remain connected to the utility when voltage at the point of common coupling (PCC) fell below 85 %, forcing their disconnection even when the fault happened far from the wind farm. That is the reason why, in grids with significant wind energy penetration, the voltage dip and the subsequent wind farm disconnections would create an important stability problem.

System operators of the different countries have established diverse voltage limit curves for fault ride through. For instance, in Spain, Red Eléctrica de España (REE), has developed operation procedure P.O. 12.3 describing ride-through requirements for wind farms, and the Spanish Wind Energy Association the Spanish Procedure for verification, validation and certification of the requirements of the P.O. 12.3 on the response of wind farms in the event of voltage dips (PVVC).

This presentation shows the design of a voltage dip ride through test system able to test wind systems up to 20 kV and 5 MW according to the voltage dip profile described in the international grid codes. The design procedure by means of simulation, the laboratory-scale prototype tests (400 V, 90 kW) and the implementation in real scale are described.

Biography: María Paz Comech received her M.S. (2003) and PhD (2008) degrees in Electrical engineering from the University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain. Her PhD thesis was on the subject of modelling and testing wind turbines before network contingencies.

María Paz Comech received her M.S. (2003) and PhD (2008) degrees in Electrical engineering from the University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain. Her PhD thesis was on the subject of modelling and testing wind turbines before network contingencies.

Abstract: In this presentation, an overview is given of the use of FPGAs in industrial control and instrumentation systems. The generic architecture of FPGAs is presented along with an overview of the Computer Aid Design (CAD) environment used to define FPGA functionality. Particular attention is given to the Handel-C language, which provides an algorithmic design approach. The benefits of a holistic methodology are explained as allowing the unification of the design development environment. The major design rules of a functional design approach are presented. The authors analyze, given the current level of technology, the contributions and the limitations of FPGAs for industrial control and instrumentation systems. State-of-the-art FPGA-based case studies and presented in full for instrumentation systems (Coriolis mass flow meters) and power electronics (PI, sliding mode, predictive and hybrid current controllers for synchronous machine drive). Finally, the author will offer their thoughts on future trends.

Biography: Prof. Eric Monmasson is currently a Full Professor and the Head of the Institut Universitaire Professionnalisé de Génie Electrique et d’Informatique Indutrielle, University of Cergy-Pontoise, Cergy-Pontoise, France. He is also with the Systèmes et Applications des Technologies de l’Information et de l’Energie (SATIE,UMR CNRS8029). In SATIE, his current research interests include the advanced control of electrical motors and generators and the use of field-programmable gate arrays for energy control systems. Prof. Monmasson is the Chairman of the Technical Committee on Electronic Systems on Chip of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society and a member of the steerng committee of the European Power Electronics Association and of the no. 1 technical committee of the International Association for Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (IMACS). He is an Associate Editor of IEEE Trans. on Industrial Electronics. He is the author or coauthor of two books and more than 100 scientific papers.

Abstract: One of the challenging problems in power processing systems for photovoltaic applications is the maximization of the electrical power extracted from the generator regardless of the irradiance and temperature conditions and of the disturbs back-propagating from the grid towards the panel in ac single-phase applications. The importance of a reliable and efficient Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) system is in the fact that the high electrical efficiency of the power processing system can be made fruitless by the extraction from the photovoltaic generator of a power that is lower than the one currently available. This lecture is aimed at highlighting the main aspects related to MPPT and it will give some recipes for designing an efficient MPPT algorithm.

Biography: Giovanni Spagnuolo was born in Salerno, Italy, in 1967. He received the “Laurea” degree in electronic engineering from the Università di Salerno, Salerno, in 1993, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Napoli “Federico II”, Naples, Italy, in 1997. In 1993, he was with the Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione ed Ingegneria Elettrica, Università di Salerno, where he was a Postdoctoral Fellow (1998–1999), an Assistant Professor of electrotechnics (1999–2003) and, since January 2004, he has been an Associate Professor. His main research interests are in the analysis and simulation of switching converters, in circuits and systems for renewable energy sources, and in tolerance analysis and design of electronic circuits. Dr. Spagnuolo is an Associate Editor of the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS.

Abstract: Worldwide electrical grids are expecting to become smarter in the next future. In this sense, the increasing interest in intelligent microgrids able to operate in island or connected to the grid, which will be a keypoint to cope with new functionalities, as well as integration of renewable energy resources. A microgrid can be defined as a part of the grid with elements of prime energy movers, power electronics converters, distributed energy storage systems and local loads, that can operate autonomously but also interacting with main grid. The functionalities expected for these small grids are: black start operation, frequency and voltage stability, active and reactive power flow control, active power filter capabilities, and storage energy management. This way, the energy can be generated and stored near the consumption points, increasing the reliability and reducing the losses produced by the large power lines. In this presentation, a review of the main concepts related to flexible microgrids will be introduced. Examples of real microgrids in the world will be presented and analyzed. Finally, the hierarchical control and the energy management of flexible microgrids will be discussed.

Biography: Josep M. Guerrero (S’01–M’04–SM’08) received the B.S. degree in telecommunications engineering, the M.S. degree in electronics engineering, and the Ph.D. degree in power electronics from the Technical University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain, in 1997, 2000 and 2003, respectively.

He is an Associate Professor with the Department of Automatic Control Systems and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Catalonia, Barcelona, where he currently teaches courses on digital signal processing, FPGAs, microprocessors, and renewable energy. Since 2004, he has been responsible for the Renewable Energy Laboratory, Escola Industrial de Barcelona. His research interests include photovoltaics, wind energy conversion, uninterruptible power supplies, storage energy systems, and microgrids.

Dr. Guerrero is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Integrated Energy Systems. He is also an Associate Editor for the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS, the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS, the International Journal of Power Electronics, and the International Journal of Industrial Electronics and Drives.

Abstract: Spain’s Control Center for Renewable Energies (CECRE): Red Eléctrica was the first company in the world dedicated exclusively to power transmission and the operation of electrical systems. As the system operator guarantees the continuity and security of the power supply and the proper coordination of the production and transmission system, performing its functions based on the principles of transparency, objectiveness and Independence. In addition, Red Eléctrica is the manager of the transmission grid and acts as the sole transmission company on an exclusive basis. Over the last decade, wind generation in Spain has experienced an extraordinary growth increasing continuously its contribution to demand supply. This external requirement together with the unique properties associated with wind power management that may affect the secure operation of the power system, has encouraged Red Eléctrica to create a control centre of renewable energies (CECRE). CECRE allows the maximum amount of production from renewable energy sources, especially wind energy, to be integrated into the Spanish power system under secure conditions.

CECRE is an operation unit integrated into the Electrical Control Centre (CECOEL). The generation of the renewable energy producers, which have been set up in our country are managed and controlled by CECRE. In addition, this centre is the sole interlocutor in real time between CECOEL and each one of the authorized generation control centers, to which the wind farms are connected. Its main function is to supervise and control of the renewable energy generators, mainly wind power. It also articulates the integration of its production to the power system in a way compatible with its security.

Biography: Ramón Granadino ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) earned his degree in industrial engineering in 1990 at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain, and his M.Sc.ECE degree in 1993 from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (U.S.). He has worked at Red Eléctrica de España since 1994, managing projects for the development of the 220 and 400 kV Spanish networks. He is currently the Director of Red Eléctrica de España in the Balearic Electric System and Project Manager for the HVDC Submarine Interconnection between the Spanish Peninsula and Mallorca. He has been the project manager of significant transmission projects in the Spanish electric grid, such as the submarine interconnection between Spain and Morocco and the undergrounding of a double circuit 400 kV line at the Madrid Barajas airport using XLPE cables for a total length of 13 km. He was a member of CIGRE WG B1-19, current member of the Tutorial Advisory Group of SC B1 (Insulated Cables) and current Spanish representative in CIGRE SC B1 (Insulated Cables).

Abstract: The integration of renewables in Spain is currently a fact, more than an expectation, according to the figures of wind and PV installed power: 16.740 MW and 3.207 MW respectively at the end of 2008. From these absolute data, Spain is the 3rd. country in the world regarding wind installed power (after Germany and USA) and the 2nd. one regarding photovoltaic installed power (after Germany, which has more than 5.300 MW).

Assuming the huge potential of renewables in Spain and its risky dependency of primary energy (close to 80%, clearly far from the 50% as average for the EU), the trend to highly increase renewables seems to be clear in the near future, with estimations of 40.000 MW wind installed power and 6.500 MW PV installed power in 2020. This way, in 10 years Spain may have more than twice the current figures of installed renewables, with important challenges that will be faced by TSO and DSO, to maintain (at least) power quality requirements and take advantage of the benefits provided by renewables and DG.

This presentation will discus the challenges and opportunities associated to integration of Renewables, especially in MV grids.

Technologies relating energy storage (ESD), flexible AC Transmission/Distribution systems (FACTS-FACDS) and superconducting fault current limiters (SFCL) will be discussed, including some examples in real networks, where the combination of these technologies with renewables (and DG) can optimise the integration.

Biography: Juan Frau received the M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Barcelona, Spain) in 1988, and the Ph.D. degree in 1991, from the same university. From 1988 to 1992 he was an Associate Professor with the Department of Automatic Control Systems and Computer Engineering, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, and in 1992 he joined ENDESA till now. From 1993 to 2001 he collaborated with the University of Balearic Islands as assistant Professor teaching courses on instrumentation systems and power electronics. He is Director of Network Planning in Balearic Islands (ENDESA Distribution) since 2002 and has been involved in several R+D+i projects, mainly associated to energy efficiency in electrical systems.

He was the project manager of the EFFITRAFO^TM project (2006-2008), that developed and introduced the most efficient technology (amorphous core) in Distribution transformers, standardised for the 1st time in Europe from a utility. He has been consultant of the UNFCCC (Bonn) to develop the CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) methodology (AM0067) to estimate CO2 emissions reduction due to energy efficient transformers. He will lead from ENDESA the ECCOFLOW project (2010-2013), co-financed by the EC, to develop and perform the field test of a superconducting fault current limiter (HTS based on coated conductor YBCO tape) for operation in electricity networks. The field tests will be performed in ENDESA and RWE grids ( 15 kV and 22 kV).