Renewable integration model and analysis

The integration of significant amounts of renewable resources poses a number of challenges for system planners. We formulated a methodology that quantifies the amount of conventional generation resources and the associated fixed and variable costs necessary to integrate portfolios of renewable resources. We designed and developed a model, The Renewable Integration Model (RIM) that provides system planners a range of flexibility to simulate and estimate the system impact associated with renewable generation based on resource-specific characteristics. From there, RIM can be used to estimate the incremental operational costs associated with accommodating variable generation resources like wind and solar energy.