Abstract
The burgeoning photovoltaics’ (PVs) penetration in the low voltage distribution networks can cause operational bottlenecks if the PV integration exceeds the threshold known as hosting capacity (HC). There has been no common consensus on defining HC, and its numerical value varies depending on the reference used. Therefore, this article compared the HC values of three types of networks in rural, suburban, and urban regions for different HC reference definitions. The comparison was made under balanced and unbalanced PV deployment scenarios and also for two different network loading conditions. A Monte Carlo (MC) simulation approach was utilized to consider the intermittency of PV power and varying loading conditions. The stochastic analysis of the networks was implemented by carrying out a large number of simulation scenarios, which led towards the determination of the maximum amount of PV generation in each network case.
Highlights
The hosting capacity (HC) concept has been gaining importance with time to ensure the capacity of the system without employing any expensive grid upgrades
HC value is dependent on the references used for its definition, and Reference [1] provides a review of different HC references and their influence on changing HC value
We present the HC analysis of the three geographically distinct Finnish regions according to different HC references for two types of PV deployment scenarios
Summary
The hosting capacity (HC) concept has been gaining importance with time to ensure the capacity of the system without employing any expensive grid upgrades. The study concluded the five major HC references used in the literature to be peak load, transformer rating, the share of customers’ PVs, energy consumption, and share of available roof space. The HC can be defined as the ratio of maximum PV production to the peak load of the feeder [2] or transformer’s kVA rating [3], or the ratio of total yearly PV production to the yearly energy consumption [4] and w.r.t roof space [5]. The compliance with the performance constraints known as the HC limiting factors is an important criterion for the accurate determination of HC without risking the quality of supply and the network component’s life. The accurate choice of the limiting factors and their operational threshold significantly influence the HC of the network, and different studies have used a variety of performance indices for HC determination.
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