Increasing photovoltaic hosting capacity in distribution networks in Puerto Rico: Seasonal and technical characteristics analysis and solutions

Abstract

The growing dependence on electrical devices has increased the demand for energy security, which has led many users to adopt photovoltaic (PV) systems as a reliable energy source. This trend occurs in regions such as Puerto Rico, where natural disasters like hurricanes and storms often disrupt the power supply. Despite the environmental and energy security benefits, the massive integration of PV systems poses challenges for the electricity sector, such as overvoltages, overloads, and other power quality issues, especially during peak generation periods. This study evaluates the hosting capacity of PV systems (HCPV) in real distribution networks in Puerto Rico, analyzing six feeders with different characteristics in topology, length, load, voltage, and geographical location. Increasing PV penetration scenarios and time variations were simulated by modeling detailed distribution feeders using OpenDSS, and the results were processed in MATLAB. Strategies to increase HCPV, such as using a battery energy storage system (BESS) and the Volt-VAr control function of smart inverters (SI), were also evaluated. The results show that HCPV varies seasonally and that feeders operating at 13.2 kV are less susceptible to voltage violations than those operating at 8.32 kV and 4.16 kV. In addition, the combination of BESS with the Volt-VAr function of the SI was the most effective strategy for increasing the HCPV. In conclusion, the technical characteristics of the feeders and seasonal conditions significantly influence the HCPV, as well as the occurrence of thermal and voltage violations in the power grid.