Value of storage facilities in a renewable electricity system

In electricity systems in which wind generators and photovoltaic cells play a large part in the production of electricity, a major problem is the matching of production and demand. This problem can be solved by means of storage facilities together with back-up generating capacity. To analyse the value of short-term as well as long-term storage facilities, a computer model has been developed which can simulate electricity systems that are fed largely by renewable energy sources. A brief description of the model is given. With this model calculations have been made for a possible situation where electricity in the Netherlands is supplied mainly by wind generators and PV cells, whereas and combined cycle units and gas turbines are used as back-up power.