Modelling and analysis of practical options to improve the hosting capacity of low voltage networks for embedded photo-voltaic generation

• Published in: IET renewable power generation Vol. 11; no. 5; pp. 625 - 632
• Main Authors: Wong, Peter K.C, Kalam, Akhtar, Barr, Robert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Institution of Engineering and Technology 12.04.2017
• Subjects: Australia; building integrated photovoltaics; climate change; computer simulation; distribution networks; electricity distribution network; embedded photo‐voltaic generation; feed‐in tariffs; fossil fuel resources; hosting capacity; load balancing; load regulation; low voltage networks; phase imbalance; renewable energy certificates; Research Article; residential PV generations; roof‐top photo‐voltaic systems; smart grid; smart power grids; solar resources; steady state voltage delivery; utility engineers; Victoria; voltage control; wind resources; roof-top photo-voltaic systems; load balancing; distribution networks; smart power grids; building integrated photovoltaics; renewable energy certificates; feed-in tariffs; computer simulation; steady state voltage delivery; load regulation; electricity distribution network; climate change; residential PV generations; embedded photo-voltaic generation; solar resources; smart grid; Victoria; utility engineers; fossil fuel resources; wind resources; low voltage networks; hosting capacity; Australia; phase imbalance; voltage control
• ISSN: 1752-1416; 1752-1424; 1752-1424
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-rpg.2016.0770

Dwindling fossil fuel resources and concern of climate change resulting from the burning of fossil fuels have led to significant development of renewable energy in many countries. While renewable energy takes many forms, solar and wind resources are being harvested in commercial scale in many parts of the world. Government incentives such as renewable energy certificates and feed-in tariffs have contributed to the rapid uptake. In Australia many residential customers have taken up roof-top photo-voltaic (PV) systems. These residential PV generations are embedded in the low voltage (LV) networks that are not designed to take intermittent, two-way flow of electricity. Utility engineers are faced with the challenge of a legacy electricity distribution network to connect increasing amount of embedded PV generation. This study focuses on two aspects of the technical limitation – steady state voltage delivery and phase imbalance – and proposes how the technical limitations can be improved by optimising the existing voltage control schemes, the balancing of loads and generations between the supply phases, and finally the adoption of smart grid methodologies. This prioritised approach provides a cost effective means of addressing the impact of embedded PV generation. The proposed method is verified by computer simulation on a realistic LV distribution network in the state of Victoria, Australia.