Voltage Control with PV Inverters in Low Voltage Networks—In Depth Analysis of Different Concepts and Parameterization Criteria

Abstract

In some rural and sub-urban areas, the hosting capacity (HC) of low voltage networks is restricted by voltage limits. With local voltage control, photovoltaic generators can mitigate the voltage rise partly and, therefore, increase the HC. This paper investigates the effectiveness and general performance of different reactive and active power control concepts. It presents the findings of an extensive simulation-based investigation into the effectiveness of voltage rise mitigation, additional reactive power flows, network losses, and power curtailment. The two most common implementations of reactive power control have a similar effectiveness. The voltage rise can be compensated for by up to 25% and more than 60% for typical cable and overhead (OH) feeders, respectively. By additionally using active power curtailment of up to 3% of the annual yield, the HC can be increased by about 50% and 90% for the considered cable and OH feeder, respectively (purely rural feeders).