Impacts of Photovoltaic Systems in Distribution Networks Using Droop Control

Abstract

Currently, distributed energy resources have vertiginous growth all over the world. This type of generation uses smaller generators, so they can be allocated close to the consumer centers, which have several advantages. However, it is necessary to study the impacts on distribution systems to guarantee if the power quality to customers is being maintained. Thus, this paper aims in studying the impacts of distributed photovoltaic generation. The main focus is voltage rises caused by solar panels. Also, active losses, the number of tap changing operation of voltage regulators, and the presence of reverse power flow were analyzed. Two droop control methods were considered: volt-watt and volt-var controls. Results show that both controls are capable of mitigating the voltage rise phenomenon caused by distributed photovoltaic generators.