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Sustainability
Volume 13
Issue 8
10.3390/su13084459
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Article

Adaptive Volt-Var Control Algorithm to Grid Strength and PV Inverter Characteristics

by
Toni Cantero Gubert
1,
Alba Colet
1,*,
Lluc Canals Casals
1,2,*,
Cristina Corchero
1,2,
José Luís Domínguez-García
1,
Amelia Alvarez de Sotomayor
3,
William Martin
4,
Yves Stauffer
4 and
Pierre-Jean Alet
4
1
Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), Sant Adrià de Besòs, 08930 Barcelona, Spain
2
Department of Projects and Construction Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain
3
Schneider Electric, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
4
CSEM SA, 2002 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4459; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084459
Submission received: 25 February 2021 / Revised: 9 April 2021 / Accepted: 10 April 2021 / Published: 16 April 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integration and Control of Renewable Energy and Power Electronics for Future Power Systems)
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Abstract

The high-penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) in low voltage distribution grids, mainly photovoltaics (PV), might lead to overvoltage in the point of common coupling, thus, limiting the entrance of renewable sources to fulfill the requirements from the network operator. Volt-var is a common control function for DER power converters that is used to enhance the stability and reliability of the voltage in the distribution system. In this study, a centralized algorithm provides local volt-var control parameters to each PV inverter, which are based on the electrical grid characteristics. Because accurate information of grid characteristics is typically not available, the parametrization of the electrical grid is done using a local power meter data and a voltage sensitivity matrix. The algorithm has different optimization modes that take into account the minimization of voltage deviation and line current. To validate the effectiveness of the algorithm and its deployment in a real infrastructure, the solution has been tested in an experimental setup with PV emulators under laboratory conditions. The volt-var control algorithm successfully adapted its parameters based on grid topology and PV inverter characteristics, achieving a voltage reduction of up to 25% of the allowed voltage deviation.
Keywords: distributed power generation; low-voltage; test facilities; standards; voltage regulation; reactive power; microgrids; photovoltaic systems; optimization methods distributed power generation; low-voltage; test facilities; standards; voltage regulation; reactive power; microgrids; photovoltaic systems; optimization methods
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MDPI and ACS Style

Gubert, T.C.; Colet, A.; Casals, L.C.; Corchero, C.; Domínguez-García, J.L.; Sotomayor, A.A.d.; Martin, W.; Stauffer, Y.; Alet, P.-J. Adaptive Volt-Var Control Algorithm to Grid Strength and PV Inverter Characteristics. Sustainability 2021, 13, 4459. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084459

AMA Style

Gubert TC, Colet A, Casals LC, Corchero C, Domínguez-García JL, Sotomayor AAd, Martin W, Stauffer Y, Alet P-J. Adaptive Volt-Var Control Algorithm to Grid Strength and PV Inverter Characteristics. Sustainability. 2021; 13(8):4459. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084459

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gubert, Toni Cantero, Alba Colet, Lluc Canals Casals, Cristina Corchero, José Luís Domínguez-García, Amelia Alvarez de Sotomayor, William Martin, Yves Stauffer, and Pierre-Jean Alet. 2021. "Adaptive Volt-Var Control Algorithm to Grid Strength and PV Inverter Characteristics" Sustainability 13, no. 8: 4459. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084459

APA Style

Gubert, T. C., Colet, A., Casals, L. C., Corchero, C., Domínguez-García, J. L., Sotomayor, A. A. d., Martin, W., Stauffer, Y., & Alet, P.-J. (2021). Adaptive Volt-Var Control Algorithm to Grid Strength and PV Inverter Characteristics. Sustainability, 13(8), 4459. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084459

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