Probabilistic and Harmonic Assessment of Power Quality Parameters from Distributed Energy Resources in a Distribution Network

Abstract

Distributed energy resources (DERs) are leading actors in energy transition worldwide. Despite the environmental benefits, DERs are intermittent (consumption/generation power changes according to the input variables), and the use of power electronic devices affects the power quality in distribution networks. Typically, models and simulations (deterministic or probabilistic) are proposed to estimate such impacts. However, previous studies have analyzed the main effects caused by one or two DERs during a day. These studies had a reduced level of detail in the applied methodology in modeling and impact evaluation, or they did not consider that the harmonic distortion level depends on input variables. The aim of this article was to develop a probabilistic harmonic simulation approach to characterize the hourly effect of photovoltaic systems (PVS), battery energy storage systems, and electric vehicle charging stations in a 34-node IEEE test feeder. The individual and collective effect estimation of the DERs consists of the hourly quantification of the effective voltage value, voltage unbalance, power factor, and harmonic distortion, with data obtained using Python and PowerFactory co-simulation for 23 operation scenarios. These impacts were assessed through indicators proposed in the literature and hypothesis tests (inferential statistics). Each DER generally operates at a specific time, making it easy to identify the individual effects of network parameters. The PVS increased the effective voltage value and total harmonic distortion. However, electric vehicles and batteries increase the voltage unbalance and power factor due to the two-phase connection in some network nodes.