A spatial and temporal correlation analysis of aggregate wind power in an ideally interconnected Europe

Studies have shown that a large geographic spread of installed capacity can reduce wind power variability and smooth production. This could be achieved by using electricity interconnections and storage systems. However, interconnections and storage are not totally flexible, so it is essential to understand the wind power correlation in order to address power system constraints in systems with large and growing wind power penetrations. In this study, the spatial and temporal correlation of wind power generation across several European Union countries was examined to understand how wind ‘travels’ across Europe. Three years of historical hourly wind power generation data from 10 countries were analysed. The results of the analysis were then compared with two other studies focused on the Nordic region and the USA. The findings show that similar general correlation characteristics do exist between European country pairs. This is of particular importance when planning and operating interconnector flows, storage optimization and cross-border power trading.