Browsing by Author "Rudnick, Hugh"

Now showing 1 - 14 of 14
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    A delicate balance in South America
    (2008) Rudnick, Hugh; Barroso, Luiz; Mocarquer, Sebastian; Bezerra, Bernardo
    This article deals with the challenges of balancing the need for hydroelectricity with the impact on the environment. Economic efficiency, energy security, and environmental sustainability are concerns that must be considered in any energy policy in any given country. These key aspects remain challenged currently in South America. High energy consumption growth worldwide rising fossil fuels prices, strong environmentalist pressure toward reducing greenhouse gas effects, and promotion of renewable energy production have been a common challenge in South American energy markets. The development of vast unexploited hydroelectric resources is also at the center of attention, where its renewable character is being confronted with its environmental impact.
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    An Efficient Forecasting-Optimization Scheme for the Intraday Unit Commitment Process Under Significant Wind and Solar Power
    (2018) Cordova, Samuel; Rudnick, Hugh; Lorca Galvez, Álvaro Hugo; Martinez Aranza, Victor Julio
    Due to their uncertain and variable nature, the large-scale integration of wind and solar power poses significant challenges to the generator scheduling process in power systems. To support this process, system operators require using repeatedly updated forecasts of the best possible quality for renewable power. Motivated by this, the present work aims to study the benefits of incorporating spatiotemporal dependence and seasonalities into probabilistic forecasts for the intraday unit commitment (UC) process. With this purpose, a highly efficient forecasting-optimization scheme is proposed, which is composed of a detrended periodic vector autoregressive model and a technology-clustered interval UC model. The proposed approach is tested on a 120-GW power system with 210 conventional generators using real wind and solar measurements and compared to existing deterministic and stochastic UC techniques alongside standard forecasting methods. Extensive computational experiments show that the incorporation of spatiotemporal dependence and seasonalities into forecasts translates in a reduction of up to 1.55% in operational costs for a daily UC relative to standard practice, the application of intraday instead of daily UC runs further reduces operational costs in up to 1.51%, and the proposed forecasting-optimization scheme takes less than 10 h to simulate a whole year.
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    Balance of power
    (2009) Mocarquer, Sebastian; Barroso, Luiz; Rudnick, Hugh; Bezerra, Bernardo; Pereira, Mario
    This paper discusses the challenges in the procurement of electricity. The primary challenge faced by the countries in Latin America is to ensure sufficient capacity and investment to reliably serve their growing economies. The turn of the century brought different challenges to the energy supply in the region and to its market policy emphasis, coupled with a worldwide rocketing up of fuel prices.
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    CVaR constrained planning of renewable generation with consideration of system inertial response, reserve services and demand participation
    (2016) Inzunza, Andres; Moreno, Rodrigo; Bernales, Alejandro; Rudnick, Hugh
    Integration of renewable generation can lead, to both diversification of energy sources (which can improve the overall economic performance of the power sector) and cost increase due to the need for further resources to provide flexibility and thus secure operation from unpredictable, variable and asynchronous generation. In this context, we propose a cost-risk model that can properly plan generation and determine efficient technology portfolios through balancing the benefits of energy source diversification and cost of security of supply through the provision of various generation frequency control and demand side services, including preservation of system inertia levels. We do so through a scenario-based cost minimization framework where the conditional value at risk (CVaR), associated with costs under extreme scenarios of fossil fuel prices combined with hydrological inflows, is constrained. The model can tackle problems with large data sets (e.g. 8760 hours and 1000 scenarios) since we use linear programming and propose a Benders-based method adapted to deal with CVaR constraints in the master problem. Through several analyses, including the Chilean main electricity system, we demonstrate the effects of renewables on hedging both fossil fuel and hydrological risks; effects of security of supply on costs, risks and renewable investment; and the importance of demand side services in limiting risk exposure of generation portfolios through-encouraging risk mitigating renewable generation investment. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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    Definition of an efficient transmission system using cooperative games theory
    (IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC, 2006) Sore, Franko; Rudnick, Hugh; Zolezzi, Juan
    Under a context of transmission open access, a methodology to define a common transmission trunk system using economic and technical criteria is proposed. A transmission trunk system is defined as a unique and common system constituted by electrical lines and substations that are economically efficient and necessary to allow the development of an electrical market and the supply of demand in the respective electrical system at a minimum cost and in an efficient manner. The principles of cooperation and interaction between agents that are the base for the cooperative games theory are used. Simple games and the Shapley value approach are used. The proposal responds to the need to identify a common main system, common to supply and demand agents, needed in system open access schemes in electricity markets.
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    Economically adapted transmission systems in open access schemes-application of genetic algorithms
    (1996) Rudnick, Hugh; Palma Behnke, Rodrigo; Cura Capurro, Eliana María; Silva, C.
    A dynamic transmission planning methodology using a genetic algorithm is formulated for the purpose of determining an economically adapted electric transmission system in a deregulated open access environment. Transmission investment sensitivity information linked to short term marginal income is used. A computer program is developed and applied to obtain a long range adapted transmission grid for the Chilean electrical system. Two open access pricing methodologies are evaluated in a spot price framework, as applied to the adapted grid over the time horizon.
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    Evolution of Energy: Global Developments and Challenges
    (2012) Rudnick, Hugh
    The special issue editor chose as the central theme for this issue a long-term view of energy developments worldwide, reflecting the different conditions faced in different regions and focusing essentially on electricity supply. Experts were asked to review the electricity matrices of different regions and countries worldwide and predict future evolution considering the international discussions on nuclear energy, renewable energy, energy dependence and security, and global warming emissions. He also wanted to identify challenges being faced in electricity supply, given growing public opposition. He succeeded in soliciting contributions from the World Bank, the United States, China, Latin America, India and Africa, as well as an overview of the Fukushima accident
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    Expansion Pressure: Energy Challenges in Brazil and Chile
    (2012) Bezerra, Bernardo; Mocarquer, Sebastian; Barroso, Luiz; Rudnick, Hugh
    In Latin America, primary energy demand is projected to grow on average by 1.7% per year and to reach 830 million tons of oil equivalent (mtoe) by 2035, according to the International Energy Agency's 2011 World Energy Outlook. Demand for renewables in the power generation sector in the region will double over that period, reaching nearly 140 mtoe in 2035. Furthermore, the IEA projects that biofuels use in road transport will increase by more than 4% per year, reaching 1 million barrels per day (mb/d) by 2035, representing around 25% of fuel consumption in the sector. The economic giant in the region, Brazil, will increase its primary energy consumption to 420 mtoe in 2035, representing more than half of the regional total.
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    Improving distribution network resilience against earthquakes
    (IET, 2017) Navarro-Espinosa, A.; Moreno, R.; Lagos, T.; Ordoñez, F.; Sacaan, R.; Espinoza, S.; Rudnick, Hugh
    Historically, reliability analysis has ignored the occurrence of natural hazards such as those associated with extreme weather, flooding, earthquakes and tsunamis, which are becoming more and more relevant due to recent events. In this content, we present an assessment methodology to determine the resiliency levels of a distribution system e,posed to a major earthquake. The proposed 4-stage methodology models (i) the earthquake, (ii) the fragility of network components, (iv) the network outages, and (v) the impacts on network operation (including the energy not supplied) through sequential Monte Carlo simulations. This methodology is used to study the resilience of distribution networks under two particular strategies: one that hardens substations infrastructure in order to reduce their fragility levels, and the other one that uses additional network infrastructure in the form of transfer cables to shift load among substations in case a major event occurs. Through several case studies based on a real distribution network in Chile, we demonstrate that hardening substations infrastructure may be a more resilient way to deal with earthquakes, even when compared to an alternative, extreme case where a vast number of transfer cables are installed to support damaged substations
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    Marginal pricing and supplement cost allocation in transmission open access
    (IEEE, 1995) Rudnick, Hugh; Palma Behnke, Rodrigo; Fernandez Larranaga, José Enrique
    The application of marginal costing to transmission pricing in open access schemes requires the collection of a supplement to finance the transmission systems. The paper describes the application of marginal cost based pricing in the Chilean power system and the difficulties faced in allocating the supplement among parties involved. Alternative methods for defining the allocation are formulated. Generalized generation and load distribution factors for cost allocation are formulated and implemented. The methods are applied to allocate payments for transmission services provided by the transmission network and by a distribution company.<>
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    Pioneering electricity reform in South America
    (1996) Rudnick, Hugh
    In July, Spectrum opened a series on the power industry with articles on utility deregulation in the United States, plus a commentary on energy research [pp. 20-33]. This issue completes the series with articles on the restructuring of power sectors in South America and Europe, plus a viewpoint on the computerized grid-control systems needed in the new regime.
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    Stimulating efficient
    (2007) Rudnick, Hugh; Arnau, Alejandro; Mocarquer, Sebastian; Voscoboinik, Efrain
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    Stimulating efficient distribution
    (2007) Rudnick, Hugh; Arnau, Alejandro; Mocarquer Grout, Sebastian; Voscoboinik, Efrain
    This article assesses the 20-year experience in Latin America in applying incentive price regulation to its distribution companies. Incentive price regulation stimulates efficiency in electricity distribution in Latin America
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    Zero-Marginal-Cost Electricity Market Designs: Lessons Learned From Hydro Systems in Latin America Might Be Applicable for Decarbonization
    (2021) Barroso, Luiz; Munoz, Francisco D.; Bezerra, Bernardo; Rudnick, Hugh; Cunha, Gabriel
    Large reductions in the cost of renewable energy technologies, particularly wind and solar, as well as various instruments used to achieve decarbonization targets (e.g., renewable mandates, renewable auctions, subsidies, and carbon pricing mechanisms) are driving the rapid growth of investments in these generation technologies worldwide.