Power Electronics in Renewable Energy Systems

Abstract

The observed changes in weather conditions have accelerated the installation of renewable energy-based electricity systems around the world. Large-scale utilization of renewable energy sources in electricity production requires the use of power electronic converters to integrate the renewable energy systems into the power grids. This integration brings about certain challenges in terms of stability and robust performance of the power grids, which have to be solved before the wellbeing of the power grids can be guaranteed. This Special Issue of Energies aims to reveal the state-of-art in addressing interfacing problematics. According to the published papers, clear advancements have taken place, but the most critical issues remain unsolved. Direct power control with self-synchronizing synchronverters may be the most promising technique for solving the main stability problem, although many unsolved problems still persist. Another challenge in renewable energy production is the fluctuating nature of the available energy in renewable energy sources, which require utilization of stored energy to smooth the fluctuations. Different storage battery technologies are available, but their production may pose problems in the long term.