Facts on grid friendly wind plants

As wind power achieves higher penetration levels and becomes a more and more substantial portion of our electric energy supply, more stringent requirements are being placed on wind plants. As wind plants displace traditional synchronous generators in terms of percentages, the wind plants must also do their part to maintain stability and reliability of the power system. Modern power electronics are being used in GE's wind offerings to allow wind plants to fulfill the requirements of modern grid codes. A critical component of modern wind generation is the power electronics. The power electronics enable advanced designs and controls that greatly improve the grid integration and functionality of modern wind plants. This paper discusses the GE WindCONTROL*, GE WindINERTIA*, GE WindFREE*, and GE WindRIDE-THROUGH* functions and offers a comparison to traditional thermal or hydro plants.