Abstract
Currently, in the UK, it is widely believed that supply from renewable energy sources is capable of reaching proportions too great for the transmission system. This research investigates this topic objectively by offering an understanding of year-to-year and area-to-area variability of PV (photovoltaic) performance, measured in terms of specific yield (kWh/kWp). The dataset is created using publicly available data that gives an indication of impact on the grid. The daily and seasonal variance is determined, demonstrating a surprisingly good energy yield in April (second only to August). The geographic divergence of generation from large scale solar systems is studied for various sized regions. Generation is compared to demand. Timing of output is analyzed and probability of achieving peak output ascertained. Output and demand are not well matched, as regards location. Nevertheless, the existing grid infrastructure is shown to have sufficient capacity to handle electricity flow from large scale PV. Full nameplate capacity is never reached by the examples studied. Although little information is available about oversizing of array-to-inverter ratios, this is considered unlikely to be a major contributor to grid instability. It is determined that output from UK solar farms currently presents scant danger to grid stability.
Highlights
The quantity of grid-connected large-scale PV systems has increased over the last few years and has become more spatially distributed, both in the UK and worldwide
distribution network operator (DNO) areas were derived from Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) boundaries downloaded from the Office of National Statistics website
The work below demonstrates that the overall time PV installations pose a risk is much smaller than currently being assumed and the impact on annual generation of individual systems of e.g., curtailment may be less than assuming synchronous operation
Summary
The quantity of grid-connected large-scale PV (photovoltaic) systems has increased over the last few years and has become more spatially distributed, both in the UK and worldwide. UK government policy in the form of the strategy of the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) towards solar PV appears supportive. The BEIS Solar PV Roadmap [1] states that solar projects should make a cost-effective contribution to carbon reduction, together with other forms of generation. Solar installations should be deployed with regard to grid balancing and connectivity. In Australia, it has been found that power outages are more likely in rural areas [3]. These locations have land available for large
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