A Study of Solar Photovoltaic Grid Integration in Radial Distribution Systems

Abstract

Recent years have shown an increase in penetration of solar photovoltaic (PV) and other renewable generation onto the distribution grid. Research has demonstrated several benefits of PV integration, both for supporting peak demand and reducing power losses. However, incorrect sizing and feeder location placement of such generation in a distribution grid contributes to a plethora of problems such as: bi-directional power flow, feeder protection system coordination issues and poor voltage regulation. Traditional PV sizing single objective optimization techniques have yielded positive results on distribution feeders, yet are not adequate in larger systems, and multi-objective methods are emerging to solve for a variety of integration issues. This work discusses both the positive and negative impacts of solar PV injection in radial distribution feeders, primarily in relation to coordinated protection schemes and solar PV optimization. This work also proposes several improvements to a recently proposed Multi-Objective Index to allow for multiple solar PV to be properly implemented in a radial distribution system. A new multi-selection sizing algorithm and placement adjustment is calculated and compared to previous results based on power loss reduction and line voltage deviation correction. Additionally, further research will show the importance of exploring solar PV time series profile modeling, and continued work involving deep learning techniques for power systems analysis due to the increase in size and complexity of growing networks.