The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (Entso-E) has released a report detailing power system instability detection technologies that countries with high shares of renewable energy can use to improve grid stability and reliability.
While the report does not explicitly reference last year’s massive blackout in Spain, it cites unspecified “experiences with operating large power-electronic coupled new renewable parks,” which revealed how renewable-driven oscillations can trigger “critical power system operation modes.”
“In 2024 alone, Europe installed 16.4 GW of new wind capacity and 65.5 GW of new solar capacity. The power system is evolving toward networks increasingly reliant on devices with power electronics interfaces to allow greater power flow between distant areas, as well as to provide stability, robustness and controllability of the grid,” the report states, noting that the system will also face challenges from the integration of high electricity demand from data centres, electrolysers, and electric vehicle charging stations, all of which are interfaced through power electronics.
The “Instability Detection Technologies in Power Electronics Dominated Systems” report outlines methodologies such as measurement-based modal analysis, voltage and current monitoring, wide-area monitoring systems (WAMS) using phasor measurement units (PMUs), and point-on-wave (POW) measurements. These tools can reportedly help operators of power electronics-dominated networks make “informed decisions” about grid stability.
For each approach, Entso-E describes the physical devices currently available, applicable simulation methods, and related monitoring tools. Experts also review major power system stability phenomena, potential preventive and corrective measures, and technological limitations of current measurement-based devices, while highlighting future research directions for their development.
The report further identifies research priorities and offers recommendations, stressing the importance of collaboration with stakeholders to advance real-time monitoring, harmonized data exchange, and the development of advanced analysis algorithms.
Key areas of focus include strategies for managing data transfer, storage, and system architecture within wide measurement units (WMUs), with an emphasis on resilience and scalability. The report also highlights the need to standardize data exchange formats, protocols, and metadata to ensure reliable communication across systems.
It calls for evaluation of emerging stability phenomena and their interactions with measurement-based devices and control systems, alongside the development and validation of online algorithms capable of detecting wide-area oscillations and system instabilities in real time. The creation of algorithms that deliver actionable decision support is identified as a critical step for operational efficiency, supported by robust time synchronization solutions and clearly defined accuracy requirements for multi-sensor networks.
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