A research report submitted in partial partial compliance compliance with the requirements for the Master's Diploma in Technology: Electrical Engineering, M.L.Sultan Technikon, 1995. / The purpose of this study is to investigate the most cost effective way of electrifying rural areas in the Transkei concentrating in the district of Lady Frere. One Administrative Area (A.A) was used for research. Questionnaires were send to people of this area where a like rat format was followed. For the purpose of this study, 20 families were randomly selected for investigation. / M

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In chapter 1, I study long term contracts in retail electricity markets. Deregulation of retail electricity markets gives consumer choices over contracts of different lengths. Long term contracts allow consumers to hedge against future price increase, but they can be more expensive than spot contracts. There is little empirical evidence on how consumers value long term contracts. Using a dataset from an incumbent retailer containing 10-year panel of consumer contract choice data, this paper analyzes consumers' valuations of long term contracts. I first document that a significant percentage of consumers actively choose long term contracts when they are more expensive than shorter contracts. To quantify the value of long term contracts and welfare implication of product innovation after retail deregulation, I build and estimate a dynamic model that incorporates risk preference, price expectations and consumer inertia. Counterfactual calculation shows that on average consumers gain about 6% per month from long term contracts. In chapter 2, I quantify the effect of introducing large-scale renewable energy on the wholesale electricity market. Renewable energy capacity has increased in many markets as renewable is crucial to reduce emission in the energy sector. More than 8GWh of wind capacity has been added in Texas between 2014 and 2017. Using hourly data from Texas, I find increasing daily wind energy production results in statistically significant reduction of wholesale electricity price for all hours of the day except 10pm, and the effect is larger during peak hours. Increasing wind production reduces output from both coal and natural gas power plants. Using hours when no transmission limit is binding and load is above 50th percentile in the load distribution, I find increasing hourly wind production reduces offer prices submitted by owners of fossil fuel power plants. In chapter 3, I study the effect of transmission limit on market outcomes. Wholesale electricity markets are often subject to transmission constraints that prevent efficient dispatch of power. Increasing renewable capacity demands transmission infrastructure investment. In 2011 to 2013, Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) constructed several high voltage transmission lines from the wind-rich west Texas to demand centers. Using data on electricity production, demand, price and information on grid congestion, this paper shows that an increase of 100MW in the transmission limit from the West to the North reduces the hourly output of fossil fuel generators in the North by 71.1MWh and decreases the price in the North by 0.17$/MWh when the transmission constraint from the West to the North is binding. Meanwhile, the increase of the transmission limit reduces dispatch of coal and combined cycle gas power plants in the North, but increases production of simple cycle and steam gas power plants in the North.

The diploma thesis deals with the comparison of the conduction with the classic "AlFe" ropes (ACSR technology - aluminium conductor steel reinforced) and the line with the ACCC technology (aluminum core composite core). The first part describes the development of the transmission and distribution network in the Czech Republic. Subsequently types of conductors are described, its construction and main characteristics. The theoretical part also consists of theoretical knowledge about compared types of conductors and knowledge from the field of external lines. During the creation of the theoretical part of the thesis, we gained experience in the advanced functions of Excel, which are later used in practical part. The practical part of the thesis consists of creation of the calculation program itself, instructions and calculation methodology. Included is also an example of use of the program that compars two types of conductors of the same diameter, the same transmitted current and the same weight per unit length.

In the new global and local scenario, the advent of intelligent distribution networks or Smart Grids allows real-time collection of data on the operating status of the electricity grid. Based on this availability of data, it is feasible and convenient to predict consumption in the short term, from a few hours to a week. The hypothesis of the study is that the method used to present time variables to a prediction system of electricity consumption affects the results.

Thesis (PhD (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Prospects of up-rating existing high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission schemes, as well as the conversion of existing alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) lines and the development of new HVDC schemes in sub-Saharan Africa, have led to renewed interest in DC research. The radio interference (RI), audible noise (AN) and corona loss (CL) performance of HVDC transmission lines are critical factors when assessing the reliability of the line design. The RI performance is especially important when considering the successful transmission of the carrier signal of the power line carrier (PLC) system. The PLC system is the main form of communication between teleprotection devices on the Cahora Bassa HVDC scheme. The aim of the dissertation is to devise modelling as well as metrological techniques to characterise DC conductor corona. A particle-in-cell (PIC) computational code is developed to gain a better understanding of the physical processes that occur during corona events. The numerical code makes use of the charge simulation method (CSM) and nite element method (FEM) to solve for the Laplace and Poisson eld equations. Higher-order basis functions are implemented to obtain a more accurate solution to the Poisson equation. The computational tool yields insight into the mathematical models for the various ionization, attachment and electron avalanche processes that give rise to corona currents. Together with a designed and developed electrometer-type circuit, the numerical code assists the visualisation of the space charge particle dynamics that form in the electrode gap during corona events. The metrological techniques consider the wideband time domain (TD) as well as the frequency domain (FD) information of the measured corona pulses in the presence of noise. These are then compared to the narrowband CISPR standard measurements centred around 500kHz. The importance of impedance matching when attempting to derive a wideband excitation function is investigated. The TD measurements are quite distinct from the well-published FD measurements, and consider the pulse shape, pulse spectrum and pulse repetition rates. The use of three possible conductor corona test methods to study direct current conductor RI performance under both positive and negative polarities is investigated at high altitude in this dissertation. These include a small corona cage, a short test line and the Eskom Megawatt Park large outdoor corona cage. Derived wideband and narrowband monopolar DC RI excitation functions at 500kHz are consolidated with existing radio noise (RN) measurement protocols and prediction methods. The use of a corona cage to derive excitation functions for monopolar RI predictions is explored and it is shown that a small corona cage, due to the build-up of space charge in the small distance between the electrodes, cannot be used to predict the RI levels on HVDC transmission lines accurately. As a consequence of the physics, computational modelling and both frequency and time domain measurements, it is now possible to explain why a small cage system prevents the accurate RI prediction on transmission lines. The large outdoor corona cage and short test line RI performance predictions agree with existing empirical prediction formulas. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vooruitsigte van die opgradering van bestaande hoogspanningsgelykstroom transmissielyn skemas, asook die omkering van bestaande wisselstroom na gelykstroom lyne en die ontwikkeling van nuwe hoogspanningsgelykstroom skemas in sub-Sahara Afrika, het gelei to hernude belangstelling in gelykstroomnavorsing. Die korona-werkverrigting van hoogspanningsgelykstroom oorshoofselyne in terme van radiosteuring, hoorbare-geraas en koronaverliese is kritiese faktore om in aanmerking te neem wanneer die betroubaarheid van die lynontwerp geëvalueer word. Die radiosteuring-werkverrigting is veral van belang tot die suksesvolle oordrag van die kraglyndragolf draersein wat die hoof kommunikasievorm tussen beskermingstoerusting op die Cahora Bassa transmissielyn skema is. Die doel van hierdie proefskrif is om modellering- sowel as meettegnieke te ontwerp om gelykstroomgeleierkorona te karakteriseer. 'n Partikel-in-sel numeriese kode is ontwikkel om 'n beter begrip te verkry van die siese prosesse gedurende koronagebeure. Die numeriese kode maak gebruik van die lading-simulasiemetode, sowel as die eindige element metode om die Laplace en Poisson veldvergelykings op te los. Hoër-orde basisfunksies is geimplimenteer om 'n meer akkurate oplossing vir die Poisson vergelyking te verkry. Die numeriese kode bied insig tot die wiskundige modelle vir die verskeie ionisasie-, aanhegtings- en lawineprosesse wat lei tot koronastrome in die area om die hoogspanningsgeleier. Die numeriese kode, saam met 'n elektro-meter wat ontwerp en ontwikkel is, dra by tot die begrip van die ruimtelading partikeldinamika wat onstaan in die elektrodegaping gedurende koronagebeure. Die meettegnieke neem die wyeband tydgebied- en frekwensiegebiedinformasie van die koronapulse in ag in die teenwoordigheid van geraas. Dit word dan vergelyk met die nouband CISPR meetstandaard vir 'n frekwensie van 500kHz. Die belangrikheid van impedansie-aanpassing vir wyeband metings met die doel om opwekkingsfunksies af te lei, word ondersoek. Die tydgebiedmetings verskil van die algemene frekwensiegebiedmetings, en ondersoek die pulsvorm, -spektrum en -herhalingskoers. Die gebruik van drie moontlike koronageleier-toetsmetodes om gelykstroom radiosteurings-werkverrigting vir positiewe en negatiewe polariteite te bestudeer by hoë vlakke bo seespieël word ondersoek in die proefskrif. Dit sluit in 'n klein koronakou, 'n kort toetslyn en die Eskom Megawatt Park groot buitelug-koronakou. Afgeleide wye- en nouband monopolêre gelykstroom radiosteuring opwekkingsfunksies by 500kHz word gekonsolideer met bestaande radioruis metingsprotokolle en voorspellingsmetodes. Die gebruik van 'n koronakou om opwekkingsfunksies af te lei vir monopolêre radiosteuringvoorspellings is ondersoek en daar is gevind dat 'n klein koronakou nie gebruik kan word om radiosteuringvlakke op hoogspanningsgelykstroom transmissielyne akkuraat te voorspel nie. Dit is as gevolg van die opbou van ruimtelading in die klein elektrodegaping. Met behulp van die sika, numeriese modellering en beide die frekwensie- en tydgebiedmetings, is dit nou moontlik om te verklaar waarom die klein koronakou die akkurate radiosteuringvoorspellings op transmissielyne onmoontlik maak. Die groot buitelug-koronakou en kort toetslyn radiosteuringvoorspellings stem ooreen met bestaande empiriese voorspellings formules.

L'intégration massive des énergies renouvelables variables (EnRV) provoque d'importants changements dans le système électrique. Auparavant développé de manière vertical et centralisé, le système était robuste et fiable. Cependant, la production des EnRV est intermittente et peu prévisible. Ainsi, le système doit être plus flexible grâce à de nouvelles options telles que la maîtrise de la demande, le stockage ou l'effacement de la production EnRV. Cependant, le potentiel des EnRV est réparti inégalement en Europe et avec d'importants taux de pénétration d'EnRV, les échanges d'électricité entre les régions vont augmenter provoquant des congestions dans le réseau. Ainsi, les options de flexibilité ne pourront peut-être pas réduire ces congestions. Pour analyser ces effets, le travail mené dans cette thèse utilise le modèle de prospective long terme POLES (Prospective Outlook on Long-term Energy Systems) couplé avec le nouveau module du secteur électrique EUTGRID (EUropean – Transmission Grid Investment and Dispatch). Ce module inclut une représentation détaillée du réseau de transport européen d'électricité avec un calcul des flux plus réaliste. De plus, les renforcements sont déterminés suivant les coûts de congestion de chaque ligne. Ce nouveau couplage permet d'avoir une évolution dynamique du réseau de transport. Le rôle du réseau de transport est ensuite analysé et comparé avec les autres options de flexibilité. Les investissements dans le réseau augmentent ainsi fortement avec d'importants taux de pénétration des EnRV alors que les options de flexibilité ne peuvent pas intégralement remplacer le réseau. Finalement, un travail exploratoire est mené avec l'introduction de réseaux de distribution génériques (urbain, semi-urbain and rural) dans EUTGRID. Les résultats montrent que les renforcements sont légèrement décalés avec une augmentation de l'utilisation des technologies de back-up (i.e. centrales à gaz) ce qui augmente les émissions totales. / The power system is facing a major shift with the large-scale development of variable renewable energy sources (VRES). This vertical and centralized architecture helped the system to be robust and reliable. However, VRES production is intermittent and less predictable. As a result, the system needs to add more flexibility with new options such as Demand Side Management, storage technologies and VREs curtailment. But renewable energies potentials are unevenly distributed in Europe and, with high shares of VREs, power flows exchanges will increase between specific regions. As a result, the existing transmission grid would face congestions and these flexibility options might not be sufficient to alleviate these bottlenecks. To analyse these impacts, the work carried in this thesis uses the long-term energy model POLES (Prospective Outlook on Long-term Energy Systems) coupled with the new European power sector module EUTGRID (EUropean – Transmission Grid Investment and Dispatch). It includes a detailed transmission grid and more realistic power flows with a DC-OPF. A grid investment mechanism is also incorporated to determine the grid investments based on nodal prices. This new coupling permits to get a dynamic evolution of the transmission grid. The role of the transmission grid is being assessed and compared with other flexibility options. The grid investments increase largely with important development of VRES while other flexibility options cannot completely replace them. Finally, an exploratory work is being carried with the introduction of generic distribution grids (urban, semi-urban and urban) in EUTGRID. The results show that the reinforcements are slightly delayed with a greater use of back-up technologies which increases the total emissions.