European countries have committed to deliver secure, sustainable and affordable electricity, while at the same time meeting challenging targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the share of renewable energy. The drive for a substantial increase in renewable electricity comes from the EU 20-20-20 Renewables Directive and involves a very considerable amount of wind. In its Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan), the European Commission envisions "fully competitive wind power generation capable of contributing up to 20% of EU electricity by 2020 and as much as 33% by 2030". Increased use of wind power will not only help reduce greenhouse gas emissions but will also help ensure security of supply by reducing Europe's dependency on foreign fossil fuel markets, in particular oil and natural gas.
Large amounts of wind introduces many demanding issues that require careful attention. Wind is not able to respond easily to demand so it is of critical importance that we design our systems and networks as smart as possible. Wind resources are often located far away from major demand, sometimes offshore, so vast amounts of money have to be spent on transmission. Significant amounts of wind will also influence price behavior and plant operation and as a consequence, the investment prospects of non-subsidized back-up thermal plant.
NWIN purpose is to provide a forum for researchers and experts from the Nordic countries to discuss openly the challenges introduced into the electricity markets by significant amounts of wind. NWIN offers researchers and experts working in relevant areas the opportunity to present and discuss their work, to learn about new developments, concepts and practices, and to identify future research needs.
NWIN will be holding three seminars, the first of which will be held in Gothenburg, Sweden on December 14th. The seminars' foremost idea is to connect researchers in peer-to-peer interaction to foster intense discussions.
