Renewable energy system with simultaneous ramp rate control and frequency regulation

1. A frequency regulation and ramp rate control system comprising:

a battery configured to store and discharge electric power;

a battery power inverter configured to control an amount of the electric power stored or discharged from the battery;

a photovoltaic power inverter configured to control an electric power output of a photovoltaic field; and

a controller configured to generate a battery power setpoint for the battery power inverter and a photovoltaic power setpoint for the photovoltaic power inverter, the battery power setpoint and the photovoltaic power setpoint causing the battery power inverter and the photovoltaic power inverter to simultaneously perform both frequency regulation and ramp rate control,

wherein, when a power at a point-of-intersection (“POI”) is greater than a POI power limit, the photovoltaic power setpoint for the photovoltaic power inverter is calculated after the battery power setpoint for the battery power inverter by subtracting the battery power setpoint from the POI power limit at the POI between the battery power inverter and the photovoltaic power inverter.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the battery power setpoint by:

generating a frequency regulation power setpoint based on a frequency of an energy grid electrically connected to the photovoltaic field and the battery;

generating a ramp rate control power setpoint based a ramp rate compliance limit; and

combining the frequency regulation power setpoint and the ramp rate control power setpoint to generate the battery power setpoint.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to combine the frequency regulation power setpoint and the ramp rate control power setpoint by summing the frequency regulation power setpoint and the ramp rate control power setpoint.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to generate upper and lower bounds for the ramp rate control power setpoint, the upper and lower bounds defining a range of values for the ramp rate control power setpoint that ensure compliance with the ramp rate compliance limit.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the ramp rate control power setpoint by:

determining whether the power output of the photovoltaic field is ramping-up, ramping-down, or not ramping based on the upper and lower bounds; and

generating the ramp rate control power setpoint based on whether the power output of the photovoltaic field is ramping-up, ramping-down, or not ramping.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the ramp rate control power setpoint by:

identifying a state-of-charge of the battery;

comparing the state-of-charge of the battery with a state-of-charge setpoint; and

generating the ramp rate control power setpoint based on a difference between the identified state-of-charge of the battery and the state-of-charge setpoint.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the state-of-charge setpoint comprises at least one of:

a single setpoint value; and

a range of setpoint values between an upper setpoint limit and a lower setpoint limit.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the power output of the photovoltaic field is ramping-up, ramping-down, or not ramping based on a power signal from the photovoltaic field over a plurality of time steps.

9. A method for frequency regulation and ramp rate control, the method comprising:

storing and discharging electric power in a battery;

controlling an amount of the electric power stored or discharged from the battery using a battery power inverter;

controlling an electric power output of a photovoltaic field using a photovoltaic power inverter;

generating a battery power setpoint for the battery power inverter and a photovoltaic power setpoint for the photovoltaic power inverter using a controller; and

using the battery power inverter and the photovoltaic power inverter to simultaneously perform both frequency regulation and ramp rate control based on the battery power setpoint and the photovoltaic power setpoint,

wherein, when a power at a point-of-intersection (“POI”) is greater than a POI power limit, the photovoltaic power setpoint for the photovoltaic power inverter is calculated after the battery power setpoint for the battery power inverter by subtracting the battery power setpoint from the POI power limit at the POI between the battery power inverter and the photovoltaic power inverter.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein generating the battery power setpoint comprises:

generating a frequency regulation power setpoint based on a frequency of an energy grid electrically connected to the photovoltaic field and the battery;

generating a ramp rate control power setpoint based a ramp rate compliance limit; and

combining the frequency regulation power setpoint and the ramp rate control power setpoint to generate the battery power setpoint.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein combining the frequency regulation power setpoint and the ramp rate control power setpoint comprises summing the frequency regulation power setpoint and the ramp rate control power setpoint.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising generating upper and lower bounds for the ramp rate control power setpoint, the upper and lower bounds defining a range of values for the ramp rate control power setpoint that ensure compliance with the ramp rate compliance limit.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the ramp rate control power setpoint comprises:

determining whether the power output of the photovoltaic field is ramping-up, ramping-down, or not ramping based on the upper and lower bounds; and

generating the ramp rate control power setpoint based on whether the power output of the photovoltaic field is ramping-up, ramping-down, or not ramping.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein generating the ramp rate control power setpoint comprises:

identifying a state-of-charge of the battery;

comparing the state-of-charge of the battery with a state-of-charge setpoint; and

generating the ramp rate control power setpoint based on a difference between the identified state-of-charge of the battery and the state-of-charge setpoint.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the state-of-charge setpoint comprises at least one of:

a single setpoint value; and

a range of setpoint values between an upper setpoint limit and a lower setpoint limit.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining whether the power output of the photovoltaic field is ramping-up, ramping-down, or not ramping based on a power signal from the photovoltaic field over a plurality of time steps.

17. A controller for a frequency regulation and ramp rate control system, the controller comprising:

a processing circuit configured to:

control an amount of the electric power stored or discharged from a battery using a battery power inverter;

control an electric power output of a photovoltaic field using a photovoltaic power inverter;

generate a battery power setpoint for the battery power inverter and a photovoltaic power setpoint for the photovoltaic power inverter; and

use the battery power inverter and the photovoltaic power inverter to simultaneously perform both frequency regulation and ramp rate control based on the battery power setpoint and the photovoltaic power setpoint,

wherein, when a power at a point-of-intersection (“POI”) is greater than a POI power limit, the photovoltaic power setpoint for the photovoltaic power inverter is calculated after the battery power setpoint for the battery power inverter by subtracting the battery power setpoint from the POI power limit at the POI between the battery power inverter and the photovoltaic power inverter.

18. The controller of claim 17 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to generate the battery power setpoint by:

generating a frequency regulation power setpoint based on a frequency of an energy grid electrically connected to the photovoltaic field and the battery;

generating a ramp rate control power setpoint based a ramp rate compliance limit; and

combining the frequency regulation power setpoint and the ramp rate control power setpoint to generate the battery power setpoint.

19. The controller of claim 18 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to generate upper and lower bounds for the ramp rate control power setpoint, the upper and lower bounds defining a range of values for the ramp rate control power setpoint that ensure compliance with the ramp rate compliance limit.

20. The controller of claim 19 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to generate the ramp rate control power setpoint by:

determining whether the power output of the photovoltaic field is ramping-up, ramping-down, or not ramping based on the upper and lower bounds; and

generating the ramp rate control power setpoint based on whether the power output of the photovoltaic field is ramping-up, ramping-down, or not ramping.