Advanced probabilistic load flow methodology for voltage unbalance assessment in PV penetrated distribution grids

Abstract

The balancing of three-phase node voltages in modern power distribution grids can be significantly deteriorated by the penetration of single-phase PV renewable sources. For a given grid topology and prescribed loads, voltage unbalance critically depends on the nodes where power is injected. Its amount can vary substantially at different observations Buses in the grid. In this paper, we present a methodology that can inform network operators about the critical Buses in the grid and critical injection scenarios. The method is based on a numerically efficient but accurate probabilistic load flow that can handle the case of many PV sources and provides detailed information on the probability distribution of voltage unbalance. The proposed methodology relies on the complex-domain modeling of voltage unbalance sensitivity and on accelerating Monte Carlo simulations via parameter space partitioning.