What is power system inertia?

Power system engineers typically describe the inertia of a generator in terms of stored rotational kinetic energy (EPRI 2019), so inertia has the same units of energy (power delivered over a period of time).

What is generator inertia?

Generator inertia is our starting point for examining how fast the system must respond to a contingency event. This section details how generator inertia resists changes in system frequency. Under normal conditions, electricity demand is met by the constant injection of energy into the grid from many power plants.

What is inertia in power plants?

Inertia from rotating electrical generators in fossil, nuclear, and hydroelectric power plants represents a source of stored energy that can be tapped for a few seconds to provide the grid time to respond to power plant or other system failures.

How does inertial response affect electricity generation?

To accommodate the imbalance between supply and demand due to the drop in generation, the remaining online generators convert their rotational kinetic energy (inertia) into real power generation—referred to as inertial response. This process slows the generators and results in a drop in grid frequency.

Where can I find a report on inertia in power systems?

This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory at Inertia in power systems refers to the energy stored in large rotating generators and some industrial motors, which gives them the tendency to remain rotating.

Is energy storage a viable solution to the energy grid?

Oriented preferred solid gravity storage forms based on practical demands. With the continuous increase in the proportion of renewable energy on the power grid, the stability of the grid is affected, and energy storage technology emerges as a major solution to address such challenges.