Balancing and Intraday Market Design: Options for Wind Integration

EU Member States increase deployment of intermittent renewable energy sources to deliver the 20% renewable target formulated in the European Renewables Directive of 2008. To incorporate these intermittent sources, a power market needs to be flexible enough to accommodate short-term forecasts and quick turn transactions. This flexibility is particularly valuable with respect to wind energy, where wind forecast uncertainty decreases significantly in the final 24 hours before actual generation. Therefore, current designs of intraday and balancing markets need to be altered to make full use of the flexibility of the transmission system and the different generation technologies to effectively respond to increased uncertainty. This paper explores the current power market designs in European countries and North America and assesses these designs against criteria that evaluate whether they are able to adequately handle wind intermittency.Power market design, integrating renewables, wind energy, balancing, intraday

Impact of market design and social acceptance on the regional distribution of wind energy - simulation results for Germany

In Germany, in 2017 the support scheme for renewables changed to capacity auctions for wind power. While in theory auctions have a high degree of overall target fulfilment, the regional distribution of investments varies based on the implemented market designs. Results from 2017 show that changes in market design lead to a significant shift of investments in the south of Germany: While previously support schemes incentivised investments, in 2017 almost no wind projects were accepted. This paper investigates the regional distribution of investments into wind energy, when different designs of capacity auctions are implemented. The modelling approach draws on a parallel analysis of technical potential, expected revenues and social acceptance to determine economic wind power investments. The European electricity model REMix is then used to simulate investments in wind energy in order to analyze: What measures and incentives on a German/European level could be beneficial to meet regional targets? Overview: In recent years social acceptance of investment projects for renewables, power plants and power lines have gained significant attention by sociologists and policy makers. Results of previous studies show (Sonnberger 2017), that with regard to wind energy people tend to have a considerably high level of trust and acceptance of wind power projects in general. However, when wind power stations are planed close to settlements, the level of acceptance decreases sharply. Policy makers in Germany (in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria) therefore proposed to "avoid acceptance problems" by introducing a minimum distance of wind farms to settlements. The paper therefore aims to answer the following questions: - How can public acceptance be integrated into the analysis of wind investments? Which measures and market incentives can increase public acceptance for additional investments into wind power? - What incentives provide different remuneration schemes and auction design on the regional distribution of wind energy? - What regulatory measures and incentives on a German and European level could be beneficial to reach the regional targets (e.g. the states targets)? (here: targets of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg) The analysis was conducted for Germany and the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Methods: The selected modelling approach consists of three parts: 1. Technical potential: A geodata (GIS) based analysis has been used to investigate the technical potential of wind power in different regions in Germany. The model REMix-Endat uses a high resolution spatial analysis and determines potential areas within Germany, where investments into additional wind farms could talke place. The calculation is based on distance from settlements, infrastructure, type of landscape (landcover data), slope and altitude . In a second step the model determines, based on historic windspeeds, the estimated hourly feed-in of renewables in future years for these different locations. 2. Market design and incentives: In a second step, a modell analyzing the long term investment incentives from different political frameworks and market designs will be investigated for different regions and types of locations. The model determines the expected net present value for each location. 3. Public acceptance: Aspects of public acceptance will be integrated into the model. While general acceptance for wind is high, local acceptance must be accomplished to enable investments. Two path for increasing local acceptance are investigated: Avoiding acceptance problems in the first place and creating distributional fairness and trust. The effect of both measures on the energy system and long term investments are investigated. Technical potential, market incentives and results from the acceptance analysis are integrated into the European energy system model REMix. Based on the estimated hourly dispatch and price estimates for representative years up to 2050, an overall potential can be determined for each location. The modell depicts investments - it especially adds wind (an PV) capacity to meet the renewable targets for Germany. A first analysis of market design and incentives for investments and detailed description can be found in Borggrefe (2018). This paper extends the model and focuses on the integration of aspects of "public acceptance" Results: Creating acceptance by "avoiding acceptance problems" as it is proposed/implemented by some states in Germany will not provide sufficient areas for wind power onshore. Investments into other more expensive renewable technologies will increase costs of electricity procurement. A second set of scenarios analyses the impact of a "fair distribution" of wind capacity across all regions in Germany on market results, system stability and target fulfillment. In the coming decades this will lead to increasing costs for investment and remuneration. In the long run the resulting energy system also provides benefits, because cost extensive investments into grid can be saved

Matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors: promising novel biomarkers in severe sepsis?

The multicenter study conducted by Lorente and coworkers published in the previous issue of Critical Care demonstrates that matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-10 and their inhibitor tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) are promising novel biomarkers to predict severity and outcome of sepsis. In recent years MMPs have emerged as biomarkers in a variety of diseases, such as sepsis, coronary artery disease, cancer, heart failure, chronic lung disease and rheumatoid arthritis. MMPs constitute a family of proteinases that are expressed during developmental, physiological, and pathophysiological processes, for example as a response to infection. Excessive inflammation following infection may cause tissue damage, and MMPs are implicated in causing this immunopathology. The activity of MMPs is regulated by secretion of specific inhibitors (TIMPs). Studies using MMP inhibitors and MMP knockout mice indicate that MMPs play an essential role in infection and in the host response to infection. The measurement of MMP-9 and MMP-10 and their inhibitor TIMP-1 in the intensive care setting could be an attractive noninvasive tool for determination of outcome of septic patients

The value of multimodality imaging for detection, characterisation and management of a wall adhering structure in the right atrium

The case presents a wall adherent structure in the right atrium in a young patient with peripheral tcell lymphoma followed by successful prolonged lysis therapy resulting in the resolution of the thrombus is presented. This case highlights the utility of multimodality imaging in an accurate assessment of the right atrium thrombus and the effectiveness of prolonged lysis therapy.peer-reviewe

Computertomographische Messung der Veränderungen von Knochendichte, Knochenstruktur und Knochenstärke amSchenkelhals unter 2jähriger Teriparatid (PTH-1,34) Therapie : Ergebnisse der EUROFORS Studie

Die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchung zeigen, dass sich die hier zum ersten Mal in vivo erprobte QCT BIT Analyse, mit der Exzentrizitätsmethode zur VOI Findung, als sensitive Methode zur Darstellung von kleinsten Veränderungen der Knochendichte, Geometrie und Biomechanik am Schenkelhals erwiesen hat. Mit diesem Resultat wird eine wichtige Grundlage für die Weiterentwicklung der computertomographischen Osteoporose-Diagnostik an der Hüfte bereitgestellt. In Zukunft sollte es das Ziel sein, in vivo die Regio intertrochanterica sowie Segmente des Schenkelhalsquerschnittes separat zu untersuchen. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Knochendichte mit der Buckling Ratio eng korreliert während die Knochendichtewerte keinen Zusammenhang mit der Biegesteifigkeit des Schenkelhalses zeigten. Somit kann die QCT im Gegensatz zur DXA insbesondere durch die genaue Berechnung von Widerstandsmomenten additive Information bereitstellen. QCT erwies sich hier als wertvolles Verfahren mit dem zeitliche Veränderungen in unterschiedlichen Knochenkompartimenten (trabekulär vs kortikal; endosteal vs. periosteal) analysiert werden können. Biomechanische Größen wie Widerstandsmoment und Knicklast können aus QCT Daten ermittelt werden und die biomechanische Kompetenz des Schenkelhalses unter verschiedenen Belastungsmodi umfassend beschreiben. Die Beobachtung von Veränderungen unter TPTD Behandlung erbrachten neue Erkenntnisse, indem gezeigt wurde, dass die 24 monatige Behandlung einer Gruppe von Frauen mit schwerer Osteoporose nicht nur einen BMD Anstieg verursacht, sondern ebenso eine Verbesserung der Strukturparameter für Biegesteifigkeit und unter Axialbelastung bewirkt. Erstmals konnte geklärt werden, dass diese gemessenen Veränderungen am Schenkelhals durch den Anstieg der trabekulären Dichte und endostealer Knochenapposition bewirkt wurden, und nicht durch periostealen Anbau, wie es durch Studien an Mäusen oder am Menschen bei Messungen an anderen Knochen suggeriert worden war. Zudem zeigte sich, dass eine Reduktion der Knochendichte, wie sie bei vorbehandelten Patienten nach 6 Monaten auftritt, nicht mit einer Schwächung der biomechanisch relevanten Parameter einhergeht, und somit die Veränderung der Dichte nicht mit der Veränderung der Bruchfestigkeit gleichgesetzt werden kann

Interventional Left Atrial Appendage Closure: Focus on Practical Implications

Catheter-based left atrial appendage closure is an evolving therapy for the prophylaxis of thromboembolic complications in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, which are ineligible for long-term oral anticoagulation. For this indication, it is recommended by the current European guidelines. This review of the existing literature should facilitate the understanding of the therapy’s practical implications. It presents a clinical approach toward a correct patient selection, gives an overview of the different devices and the procedural aspects, reflects differences and benefits between several postprocedural regimens for device surveillance as well as antithrombotic medication and rounds off with a summary of the relevant studies concerning efficacy and safety outcome measures