Adaptive power system frequency support from distributed photovoltaic systems

Abstract

The integration of converter-based renewable energy resources in a power system leads to reduced inertia, creating a multitude of challenges relating to stability and reliability. On the positive side, the faster response of converter-based renewable energy resources to frequency disturbances, compared to the conventional synchronous-based generators, reduces the required minimum level of inertia in future low-inertia power systems. Accordingly, grid support from distributed photovoltaic (DPV) systems is one of the emerging solutions to overcome the challenges of these systems. This paper demonstrates how adaptive power system frequency support, which modifies the dynamic of frequency support in DPV systems according to the available level of power system inertia, improves overall system operation. In this way, for lower values of power system inertia, a higher amount of power reserve is maintained across DPV systems. Additionally, a faster frequency–Watt response is implemented to provide a larger amount of grid support under frequency disturbances. Simulation results on a composite load model of distribution feeder show that applying for adaptive frequency support from DPV systems improves the frequency nadir during under-frequency events. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach in providing a faster dynamic response and higher amount of power support from DPV systems under low inertia conditions.