Category Archives: Photovoltaic Systems and Distributed Generation

Discussions of PV systems and other forms of DG applied at 69 kV or lower voltages.

Solar Photovoltaic Inverters and Ride-Through Capability

In study after study, we (Pterra) are encountering this seemingly mounting issue of ride-through capability in solar photovoltaic (“PV”) inverters. For now, the matter is isolated to frequency ride-through in small grids such as those that may be found in the Hawaiian islands. However, there is potential for this to be critical in even larger systems as the number of inverter-based PV arrays interconnecting to existing distribution and transmission systems increases. Continue reading

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Can wind turbines and solar inverters contribute to frequency control?

Renewable energy resources such as solar and wind, produce power in a manner that generally does not contribute to frequency control of interconnected power systems. However, both wind turbines and solar inverters have the important characteristic of fast, programmable controls. The question then comes up: Is it possible for these power sources to participate in frequency control response of interconnections? Continue reading

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Integrating Solar PV Power with Existing Distribution Circuits; Part 1

A wave of new solar photovoltaic (“PV”) installations for power generation is hitting many distribution circuits around the country.  These installations are typically in the range of 10-2000 kW and comprise of a set of solar PV arrays or trays … Continue reading

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Transient Overvoltages in Wind Farms, and a Case Study

In various Blogs on this site, we have talked about unique technical issues associated with integrating wind farms into existing grids.  This Blog now addresses the matter of transient overvoltages, or TOV, specifically with respect to potential risks to customers … Continue reading

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Transmission bases for sizing wind and solar projects

Unlike base load power plants such as nuclear and some coal plants which operate near full capacity for days at a time, solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind farms are variable resources whose output is dependent on the minute-by-minute change in … Continue reading

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Integrating Solar Photovoltaics and Other Renewables in Distribution Systems

Distributed generation (DG) has become a viable option and is gaining wider acceptance to utilities, customers, and independent power producers. While DG offers many advantages, the interconnecting utility typically requires a system impact study for interconnecting DG to the existing … Continue reading

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Distributed Generation: Interconnection Steady State Impact

Jingjia Chen, Ketut Dartawan, Ricardo Austria Distributed generators (DGs) are small generating units that are connected to the distribution network at voltages below 69 kV. DG units usually have capacities of 10MW or less, and are based on different energy … Continue reading

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Distributed Generation: Things You Don’t Want to Miss!

by K. Dartawan, R. Austria What is Distributed Generation (DG)? Unlike big generation stations connected directly to the utility’s transmission grid, DG is typically smaller, about 10 MW or less connected to the distribution network or customer side. The DG … Continue reading

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Distributed Generation Impact: Sympathetic Tripping of Protection Devices

by E. Cano, K. Dartawan, R. Austria One potential impact of interconnecting distributed generation (DG) is the potential sympathetic tripping of overcurrent (OC) protection devices, where a healthy feeder trips unnecessarily for a fault on another feeder. The sympathetic tripping … Continue reading

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