1

AbstractThis paper provides an overview of grid codes for

the connection of wind farms to electric power systems.
Furthermore the requirements of frequency control, voltage
control, frequency range and ride-through capability are
compared between different countries. The grid codes studied
are developed by Transmission System Operators of countries
with high wind penetration. The increasing development of wind
power generation requires standardized operating requirements
for all countries.

Index Terms network reliability, power system faults, wind
power generation, grid connection requirements, voltage ride
through capability.
I. INTRODUCTION
HE expansion of wind power is a fact in many countries.
The importance of renewable energy by 2050 in the
global energy mix is reflected in the World Energy Council.
According to an objective of the European Union by 2010
22% of electricity generation will be from renewable sources.
The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) predicts a
wind generation that will cover 12% of the electricity
consumption by 2020 and a 20% by 2030 [1], [2], [3], [4].
The increasing penetration of wind generation has an
impact on the stability and reliability of the power system. In
order to maintain continuity and security of the electric supply
some countries have developed specific grid codes for the
connection of wind turbines and wind farms to the power grid.
Moreover, some countries require network support during
disturbance conditions. However, others still demand wind
generators to disconnect when the network is not generating
under normal conditions.
The most proactive countries that established grid codes
were the pioneers in wind power.
This paper is an overview of the aspects dealt with in the
different codes. Grid codes are set by the electrical
stakeholders (mainly Transmission System Operators,TSO)


* N. Sangroniz is with Arteche Centro de Tecnologa, Derio Bidea 28.
48100 Mungia, Spain (e-mail: ns@arteche.es).
+ J . Mora is with Inelap, Calle 2 #7 Fracc. Industrial Alce Blanco.
Naucalpan de J urez, 53370 Estado de Mxico (e-mail:
jmora@arteche.com.mx).
^M. Duarte Teixeira is with Arteche EDC, Rua J uscelino K. de Oliveira,
11400 CIC, Curitiba-PR 81450-900 (e-mail: mdt@arteche.com.br).



and normally there is harmonization on national codes but not
on international level.
A comparison is made of the main requirements between
different countries in order to show the lack of a harmonized
set of grid code requirements and the convenience of the
countries with no grid codes to join proactive group, as is the
case of Brazil.
A wind energy auction in Brazil is expected to be held in
late 2009, and it is expected to call for up to 1000MW in
generating capacity. Projects for more than 4500MW are
qualified for the auction.
II. COUNTRIES AND REQUIREMENTS
The grid codes considered in this comparative study are:
Canada (Alberta) [5],
Denmark [6], [7],
Germany [8],
Spain [9], [10] and
United States [11].
The requirements under consideration are extracted from
the grid codes of the countries analyzed: frequency control,
voltage control, frequency range and ride-through capability.
Active power control is required by several grid codes to
support the frequency of the system.
Reactive power compensation can be done by controlling
the system voltage.
Security of supply and overloading prevention are ensured
by means of the frequency control within acceptable limits.
Ride-through requirements force the wind farm to support
the network during and after a fault and to be protected
against damage from faults.
Other requirements of grid codes related to voltage quality
(flicker, harmonics,), wind farm modeling or
communication control are not considered in the present
analysis although are included in codes of some countries.
III. COMPARATIVE STUDY OF GRID CONNECTION
REQUIREMENTS
A. Frequency control
Some grid codes require the capability to vary active power
output in response to changes in system frequency. Ramp
rates are defined in order to limit active power output.


Review of International Grid Codes for Wind
Generation
Natalia Sangroniz*, J os Arturo Mora+, Mateus Duarte Teixeira^
T
2
1) Canada:
Frequency control requirement is subject to review pending
the outcome of further studies associated with wind power
variability.
2) Denmark:
Voltage above 100kV:
It shall be possible to limit the production of a wind farm to
a random set-point value in the range of 20 to 100% of
rated power. It shall be possible to set the regulation speed
at upward and downward regulation in the interval 10 to
100% of rated power per minute.
Voltage below 100kV:
It must be possible to limit a wind turbines production to
any power set-point in the range 20-100% of its rated
power. It must also be possible to control the regulating
speed for both limiting and delimiting production from
outside and to select a limit in the range 10 to 100% of the
rated power per minute.
3) Germany:
It must be possible to reduce the power output in any
operating condition and from any operating point to a
maximum power value. The reduction of the power output
to the signaled value must take place with at least 10% of
the grid connection capacity per minute, without the wind
farm being disconnected from the grid.
4) Spain:
Frequency control is not defined.
5) United States:
Frequency control is not defined.

TABLE I
FREQUENCY CONTROL REQUIREMENTS BY COUNTRY

Country Frequency control
Canada Under study
Denmark from 10 to 100% of rated
power per minute
Germany at least 10% reduction ramp
per minute
Spain Not defined
United States Not defined

B. Voltage control
Wind turbines must operate at normal voltage rates and
stay connected during voltage changes within the voltage
ranges determined.
The wind turbine capability of supplying reactive power
contributes to the voltage control.

1) Canada:
The AESO (Alberta Electric System Operator) will specify
a transmission system voltage operating range (minimum
through maximum) at the point of connection that the WPF
(Wind Power Facilities) shall be able to operate within.
A WPF reactive capability shall meet or exceed 0.9 lagging
power factor to 0.95 leading power factor.

2) Denmark:
Voltage above 100kV:
The wind farm shall be equipped with reactive power
compensation ensuring that the reactive power as a mean
value over 10 seconds is kept within the control band, as
shown in Figure 1. This applies in the connection point at
all production levels in the stated full-load range for the
voltage shown in Figure 2.
A wind farm shall be dimensioned to produce at voltage
and frequencies that deviate from rated values in the
minimum hours indicated in Figure 2. Voltages and
frequencies for which the figure states time-limited
operation will occur in less than ten hours per year.
Abnormal voltages and frequencies shall not result in a
production decrease larger than the one indicated in Figure
2.
The full-load range indicates the voltage range within
which the wind farm shall be able to supply its nominal
power.
Voltage below 100kV:
Averaged over 5 minutes, the reactive power that a wind
turbine (including wind turbine transformer) exchanges
with a grid must lie within the control band shown in
Figure 1 unless the exchanged power is less than 25kVAr.


Fig. 1. Requirements concerning a wind turbine's exchange of reactive power
with a grid in Danish code.



Nominal
voltage,
U
N

Lower
Voltage
limit, U
L

Lower
voltage limit
for full-load
range, U
LF

Upper
voltage limit
for full-load
range, U
HF

Upper
Voltage
limit, U
H

400 KV 320 KV 360 KV 420 KV 440 KV
150 KV 135 KV 146 KV 170 KV 180 KV
132 KV 119 KV 125 KV 145 KV 155 KV

Fig. 2. Dimensioning voltage and frequency in Danish grid code.
3

3) Germany:
When active power is taken from the E.ON grid, the
connect must maintain, as standard, a power factor between
0.95 (inductive) and 0.925 capacitive at the grid connection
point. A further exchange of reactive power is only
permissible if this has been separately contractually agreed.
4) Spain:
Voltage control is not defined.
5) United States:
A wind generating plant shall maintain a power factor
within the range of 0.95 leading to 0.95 lagging, measured
at the Point of Interconnection.

TABLE II
FREQUENCY CONTROL REQUIREMENTS BY COUNTRY

Country Power factor
Canada 0.9 lagging to 0.95 leading
Denmark See Figure 1
Germany 0.95 lagging to 0.925 leading
Spain Not defined
United States 0.95 lagging to 0.95 leading

C. Frequency range
As a general rule grid codes establish a frequency range for
continuous operation mode and a wider limited range during
some period of time.

1) Canada:
WPFs that need to protect equipment for off-nominal
frequency operation shall ensure that protective relaying
accommodates operation for the specified time frames. The
trip settings of the relays shall not be less than the
minimum time prescribed in Table III with respect to the
frequency setting.

TABLE III
UNDER/OVER FREQUENCY LIMITS IN ALBERTA
Frequency (HZ)
Minimum Time
Delay
>61.7 Hz 0 seconds
61.6 Hz to 61.7 Hz 30 seconds
60.6 Hz to 61.6 Hz 3 minutes
>59.4 Hz to 60.6 Hz Continuos Operation
>58.4 Hz to 59.4 Hz 3 minutes
>57.8 Hz to 58.4 Hz 30 seconds
>57.3 Hz to 57.8 Hz 7.5 seconds
>57.0 Hz to 57.3 Hz 45 cicles
57 Hz or Less 0 seconds

2) Denmark:
Voltage above 100kV:
Refer to Figure 2, there is not restrictions for frequency in
the range between 49.5 and 50.5 Hz.
Voltage below 100kV:
Normal operation must be between 49 and 51Hz.
3) Germany:
There is no restriction when the frequency is in the range
between 47.5 and 50.2Hz. The wind farm units must, when
operated at a frequency of more than 50.2Hz, reduce the
current active power with a gradient of 40% of the
presently available power of the generator. When the
frequency returns to a value of 50.05Hz, the active power
may be increased again. Finally, when the frequency is less
than 47.5Hz or more than 51.5 the generator must
disconnect.
4) Spain:
The wind generators must disconnect if the frequency is
below 48Hz during more than 3 seconds or above 51Hz.
5) United States:
Frequency range is not defined.

TABLE IV
FREQUENCY CONTROL REQUIREMENTS BY COUNTRY

Country Frequency range
Canada See table III
Denmark See Figure 1
Germany 47.5Hz to 50.2Hz > No
restrictions
< 47.5Hz or >51.5Hz ->
Disconnection
Spain <48Hz during more than 3s or
>51Hz ->Disconnection
United States Not defined

D. Ride-through capability
The TSOs requirements some years ago were to oblige to
wind generator to disconnect during fault conditions. In this
situation the generators connected to the faulty line are
expected to trip but if the generation in the adjacent healthy
lines remains connected during and after the fault, the power
system would not be expose to an additional loss of generation
and consequently to a drop of the system frequency.

1) Canada:
Voltage Ride Through requirements are applicable to all
transmission generating facilities where WPF Aggregated
MW Capacity is greater than 5 MW, a WPF shall be
capable of continuous operation between 90% to 110% of
rated voltage. Voltage described in Figure 3 is based on the
rated voltage level at point of connection.
2) Denmark:
Voltage above 100kV:
The wind farm shall remain connected after the faults
described in Table V in the transmission grid. A wind
turbine must have sufficient capacity to meet the foregoing
requirements in the event of two independent sequences of
at least two 1-phase or two 2-phase or two 3-phase short
circuits within 2 minutes. A wind turbine should have
4
sufficient reserves to withstand two independent sequences
of at least six 1-phase or six 2-phase or six 3-phase short
circuits at 5 minutes intervals.

TABLE V
VOLTAGE RIDE-THROUGH CAPABILITIES ABOVE 100KV IN DANISH CODE

Three-phase short
circuit
Short circuit in 100ms
Two-phase short circuit
with/without earth
contact
Short circuit in 100ms
followed by a new short
circuit 300500ms later,
also with a duration of
100ms
Single-phase short
circuit to earth
Single-phase earth fault
300500ms later, also with
a duration of 100ms


0 0,625 3 t (s)
1
0,15
0,9
U (pu)
1,1
WPF generation may trip above HV Requirement
WPF generation may trip
belowLV Requirement

Fig. 3. Voltage ride through requirements in Alberta grid code.

Voltage below 100kV:
A wind turbine must remain connected after the faults in
the transmission grid listed in Table VI. A wind turbine
must have sufficient capacity to meet the foregoing
requirements in the event of two independent sequences of
at least two 2-phase or two 3-phase short circuits within 2
minutes. A wind turbine should have sufficient reserves to
withstand two independent sequences of at least six 2-
phase or six 3-phase short circuits at 5 minutes intervals.

TABLE VI
VOLTAGE RIDE-THROUGH CAPABILITIES BELOW 100KV IN DANISH CODE

Three-phase short
circuit
Short circuit in 100ms
Two-phase short circuit
with/without earth
contact
Short circuit in 100ms
followed by a new short
circuit 300500ms later,
also with a duration of
100ms

3) Germany:
For synchronous generators, three-phase short circuits must
not cause instability or a disconnection from the grid when
for fault-clearing times up to 150ms in the entire operating
range of the generating plant.
Figure 4 shows the limit curves for the voltage pattern at
the grid connection for asynchronous generators. Three-
phase short circuits or fault-related symmetrical voltage
dips must not lead to instability above the Limit Line 1 or
to disconnection of the generating plant from the grid.
For all generating plants that do not disconnect from the
grid during the fault, the active power output must be
continued immediately after clearance and increased to the
original value with a gradient of at least 20% of the rated
power per second.

0 0,7 1.5 3 t (s)
1
0,15
0,7
U (pu)
0,45
0.15
Limit Line 1
Limit Line 2

Fig. 4. Limit curve for the voltage at the grid connection in the event of a
fault in German grid code.

4) Spain:
Wind turbines should not disconnect in case of three-phase,
two phase-to-ground or one-phase short circuit represented
by Figure 5. For two phase ungrounded short circuits the
lower voltage limit must be 0.6 instead of 0.2 in Figure 2.
After fault-clearing the time necessary to recover nominal
values depends on the percentage of the wind generation
penetration related to the short circuit power.
0 0,5 1 15 t (s)
1
0,2
0,8
0,95 pu
U (pu)

Fig. 5. Limit curve for the voltage at the grid connection in the event of a
fault in Spanish grid code.

5) United States:
Wind farms should be able to remain connected during
voltage disturbances described by Figure 6. At time 0.0 s,
the voltage drops. If the voltage remains at a level greater
than 15 percent of the rated voltage for less than 0.625 s,
the wind farm shall stay connected. Further, if the voltage
returns to 90 percent of the rated voltage within 3s of the
beginning of the voltage drop, the wind farm shall be still
connected.

5
0 0,625 t (s)
1
0,15
0,9
U (pu)
3

Fig. 6. Limit curve for the voltage at the grid connection in the event of a
fault in USA grid code.

IV. CONCLUSIONS
A comparative overview of the main requirements of the most
active countries in wind power generation is presented. These
requirements are established in order to ensure safety and
reliable operation of the power systems. The analysis shows
the importance of establishing codes in countries with no
standardized rules as is the case of Brazil and the increasing
need to develop a harmonized set of grid code requirements.
Such requirements must be comprehensive and transparent in
order to avoid misinterpretation and be as explicit as possible,
and include clear, commonly shared definitions of the terms
used for wind turbines, wind farms and other equipment [12].

V. REFERENCES

[1] European Energy Association (EWEA), Large scale integration of wind
energy in the European power supply: analysis, issues and
recommendations, December 2005.
[2] European Energy Association (EWEA), European grid code
requirements for wind power generation, February 2008.
[3] Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), Global Wind Energy Outlook
2008, October 2008.
[4] World Wind Energy Association (WWEA), World Wind Energy
Report 2008, February 2009.
[5] Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), "Wind Power Facility
Technical Requirement, November 2004.
[6] Technical regulation TF 3.2.6 Energinet Wind turbines connected to
grids with voltages below 100kV, May 2004.
[7] Technical regulation TF 3.2.5 Energinet Wind turbines connected to
grids with voltages above 100kV, December 2004.
[8] E.ON Netz GmbH, "Grid Code High and extra high voltage, April.
2006.
[9] Red Elctrica Espaola (REE), Procedimiento de operacin P.O. 12.3.
Requisitos de respuesta frente a huecos de tensin de las instalaciones
elicas, October 2006.
[10] Ministerio de Industria, turismo y comercio (Mityc), Real Decreto
661/2007, de 25 de mayo, por el que se regula la actividad de
produccin de energa elctrica en rgimen especial.
[11] Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Interconnection for
wind energy. Order N 661-A, December 2005.
[12] EWEA Working Group, European Grid Code Requirements for Wind
Power Generation, February 2008.



VI. BIOGRAPHIES

Natalia Sangroniz graduated in Physics
from the Basque Country University in
1998 and Electronic Engineering in 2003.
Her employment experience includes a
two-year collaboration in Ikerlan, a
Technological Centre of the Mondragon
Group. She joined the R&D department at
Arteche Group in 2000 and her research
interests include power quality, power electronics and custom
power devices.

J ose Arturo Mora Alcaraz graduated in
Electrical Engineering from the
Universidad Iberoamericana in 1976 and
Planning of Distributions Systems from
Universidad Anahuac in 2006. He
worked for Comisin Federal de
Electricidad, Mexico, during 31 years in
Transmission and Distributions areas,
and he is employed by Inelap. His research interests include
power quality, power electronics and custom power devices.

Mateus Duarte Teixeira is manager of the
Power Quality Unity of Arteche EDC. He
got his BSc in electric engineer in the
Federal University of So J oo del Rei
and his MSc in the Federal University of
Uberlndia, both in Minas Gerais state.
Before joining to the Arteche team,
Mateus worked as researcher of the
LACTEC and has published more than thirty papers in
international transactions and conferences related with power
quality. Currently, Mateus is responsible for application
studies of power quality solutions at the industrial and utility
facilities.