University of Twente Student Theses
Bitcoin mining as a flexible load for feed-in congestion management in the electricity grid
Kloosterboer, Stef (2024) Bitcoin mining as a flexible load for feed-in congestion management in the electricity grid.
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| Abstract: | The increasing amount of renewable energy generation sources (RES) via photovoltaic (PV) generation introduces problems of feed-in congestion in the electricity grid. One way to reduce the overproduction penetration into the grid is by curtailing RES production, which means foregoing clean energy without benefit. Adding additional flexible loads is also possible, such as electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, but this often requires expensive infrastructure such as the charging station itself, making it less financially attractive to build them. Bitcoin mining is proposed as a flexible load to use the excess renewable energy. Bitcoin mining makes effective use of this renewable energy, and avoids high excess power penetration into the grid, while also avoiding the need for renewable energy generation curtailment. Different scenarios including one where the grid is congested due to excess of RES generation are simulated using a 33-node distribution system and the potential of Bitcoin miners to reduce feed-in congestion is assessed. Concerns and ethical aspects of the choice of Bitcoin mining are also discussed and explained. The results show that when a dynamic algorithm is used to determine the amount of Bitcoin miners per node, and Bitcoin miners can be turned on and off based on excess PV generation, Bitcoin mining can function as a flexible load to completely alleviate feed-in grid congestion. The paper indicates that Bitcoin mining can offer an alternative to RES curtailment and serve as a flexible load. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | EEMCS: Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science |
| Subject: | 43 environmental science |
| Programme: | Electrical Engineering BSc (56953) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/100868 |
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