Impact evaluation of PV generation on LV networks

Abstract

In distribution network planning, network loads are modeled with customer class specific load profiles. These profiles use hourly values of expected power and its standard deviation to represent the probability distribution of hourly load for a certain customer class. This paper demonstrates a method for evaluating network impacts of grid connected small scale distributed photovoltaic (PV) generation using a similar concept. The method is based on synthetic solar irradiance time series of hourly resolution incorporating the randomness associated with PV generation. The network impacts are evaluated with Monte Carlo simulations with a model of an actual low voltage (LV) network The results are then compared with Automatic meter reading (AMR) measurements from the modeled network and production measurements from an actual PV system.