Case study of non-linear PV inverter devices attached to the LV distribution network
Tallinn University of Technology, School of Engineering, Department of Electrical Power Engineering and Mechatronics, Ehitajate tee 5, EE19086 Tallinn, Estonia.
Abstract:
Every year, more and more solar power plants are connected to the grid, producing electricity in an environmentally sustainable manner. The increasing number of photovoltaic (PV) installations and their integration into the low voltage (LV) distribution network (DN) is having an impact in terms of power quality (PQ). For example, the voltage in the DN can sustain high distortion values. The impact of a PV installation on the LV network is analysed in this research. The field measurements were carried out over a 3-week period at a solar power plant with a total output power of 160 kW in an Estonian rural municipality. The measurement results provide the opportunity to look more closely at the effect of the solar power plant on the supply voltage of the LV DN. Parameters such as voltage variation within a one-minute period, the asymmetry of the voltages and the total harmonic distortion of the voltages are discussed here.
Key words:
distribution network, microgeneration, photovoltaic systems, power quality, solar energy, voltage level, voltage quality