E-COMP Initiative Summary
Energy systems are undergoing radical transformations in several ways, including wide-scale adoption of renewables, electrification of transportation (electric vehicles [EVs]), introduction of new energy storage capabilities, and a transition from a centralized to a more distributed paradigm. Underlying many of the changes is the application of electronics to the control and conversion of electric power, known as power electronics (PEL). The replacement of analog electro-mechanical systems with PEL-driven devices is accelerating, with 80 percent of all electricity predicted to pass through these devices within the next 10 to 15 years.
The adoption of PEL devices changes the dynamic behavior and overall controllability of the energy system and creates new challenges for design and operation. These challenges are compounded by the introduction of renewable generating sources that are more variable and unpredictable. Current sequential and incremental approaches to design and operation based on obsolete theories are already leading to failures, blackouts, brownouts, and propagation of faults that cannot be explained. Three high-profile examples are: oscillations of unknown origins in Great Britain in August 2021(Leslie 2022); a sudden loss of 1,200 MW of solar in California in August 2016 (North American Electricity Reliability Corporation (NERC) 2017); and a wind farm power reduction that was a main contributor to 2016 blackout in South Australia (Australian Energy Market Operator 2017).
The E-COMP initiative will develop distinct, enduring, and multi-disciplinary technical capabilities that enable the optimized design and operation of energy systems with high levels of PEL-driven devices. To achieve this, E-COMP will develop new modeling and simulation capabilities for characterizing interacting PEL-based systems in ways suitable to inform design and operation. Second, multi-objective and multi-time scale optimization algorithms will be created for determining the most cost-effective infrastructure investments and operating regimes for these systems. The impact of localized energy system design and optimization on the broader system will also be studied via the development of multi-agent simulation tools. E-COMP will develop these critical new capabilities by applying the expertise of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) across multiple domains, including power systems, security, controls, optimization, and simulation. By addressing critical gaps in existing knowledge and technology, PNNL will establish the foundational science required to design and operate the rapidly evolving energy system to handle multiple critical objectives and position PNNL for a leadership role in enabling a clean, reliable, and secure energy future.