The approach to sizing of storage of any type (battery, flow cell, CAES, pump hydro etc.), depends heavily on the objective of the system to be installed.
Whether it is for system wide reasons (e.g. frequency response, reserve, virtual synchronous machine functionality), or local reasons (e.g. constraint management, variable generation smoothing, voltage support, improvement of synchronous machine transient stability), we can produce the relevant technical and techno-economic studies for cost benefit analysis purposes.

MPE's headline activity is the utility scale grid integration of renewable generation.
As we transition to power systems with a dominance of non-synchronous converter based generation and HVDC interconnection, together with a net-shift of generation from transmission to distribution, we encounter new technical challenges for the stable and secure operation of the power system.

Through our consultancy work, and with the experience of our engineers from their previous companies, we can perform or assist with all types of system planning activities including assessment of different options such as planning new assets, reinforcement of existing assets, or novel approaches to avoid traditional reinforcements options. 

Determining the most cost effective, but technically compliant point of connection for a project can save substantial money for the project, and the power system end user.
Grid operators in Germany are obligated to assign the closest suitable point of connection at the correct voltage level, assuming there is no more favourable solution from a macroeconomic perspective. If the project developer is not content with the location, they may select another provided it is of a similar cost. Grid operators are therefore obligated to provide the required data to allow developers to make the assessment.
In Great Britain, the CION (Connection and Infrastructure Options Note) records a similar process between developers (for on and offshore projects), transmission owners, and National Grid (as the system operator).

As power systems evolve with deployment of different technologies (e.g. renewable, storage, increased interconnection (DC or AC), active network management (ANM) or distributed energy resource management systems (DERMs) etc.), there is typically a need to review and update operational concepts to ensure a stable, secure, and efficient power system. MPE can assist in all aspects including:

MPE has extensive experience in calculating reserve requirements in Power Systems with high shares of variable renewable energy. That experience has been translated into a dedicated software tool which allows MPE and their clients to calculate reserve requirements for primary, secondary and tertiary reserve considering:

The production cost optimisation model has been developed by MPE and is based on a MILP (Mixed Integer Linear Programming) model using IBM/CPLEX as solver. The production cost optimisation model balances flexibility requirements and flexibility resource and calculates overall production cost over a period of one year while respecting all constraints, including flexibility constraints and grid constraints. By having our own in-house tool we can add / modify / remove constraints as required for different power systems and generation technologies as required. If you would like to discuss this tool further, then please say hello

With new power system technologies (e.g. renewable generation, storage, HVDC interconnectors, active network management (ANM) or distributed energy resource management systems (DERMs) etc.) the existing grid code or connection agreement technical requirements are no longer appropriate. MPE has extensive experience of grid code and connection agreement development in Europe, Africa, Asia and Central America. We can support you or lead with the following tasks:

Whether its for an international standard, or an internal transmission or distribution standard, MPE can support you with review, update or development. Aspects to be considered include introduction of new technology, verification of calculations from first principles, usability of the standard, and discussion / defense of the new standard during public or industry consultation.  Some examples of the standards MPE has been involved with include:

Power system or project development is not simply a matter of meeting technical requirements. It is essential that different options are compared to ensure that solutions are delivered considering optimised CAPEX and OPEX. Therefore economic aspects must be considered in most projects. MPE can assist you by performing the following:

We can provide recorders for transient and harmonic measurements to provide input to studies, for verification of mitigation measures, or for incident investigation purposes. 

Over time, documentation for installed equipment can be lost, be superseded, or may never have existed. Inadequate documentation can stall upgrade or extension projects, complicates maintenance, and can be a health & safety risk.

MPE's engineers have extensive experience with grid code compliance testing, and verification of models against test results. Additionally we have authored compliance manuals to simplify the process for power station developers.
From a utility perspective we can help develop your compliance testing requirements for all types of generation, storage and interconnector technologies.

For the services we provide to our clients, we often conclude with training or a workshop to allow capacity building, and wider discussion / challenge of our results.
Any topic from our range of services can be covered, and any format can be achieved. We favor interactive style workshops to keep attendees engaged and focused.

To cater for expanding load growth, MPE can plan generation requirements for large and small power systems of the future. This can include options such as: