Effects of Energy Storage Systems Grid Code Requirements on Interface Protection Performances in Low Voltage Networks

Fabio Bignucolo, Alberto Cerretti, Massimiliano Coppo, Andrea Savio and Roberto Turri
Additional contact information
Fabio Bignucolo: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
Alberto Cerretti: e-distribuzione Società per azioni (S.p.A.), Via Ombrone 2, 00198 Roma, Italy
Massimiliano Coppo: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
Andrea Savio: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
Roberto Turri: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 3, 1-20

Abstract: The ever-growing penetration of local generation in distribution networks and the large diffusion of energy storage systems (ESSs) foreseen in the near future are bound to affect the effectiveness of interface protection systems (IPSs), with negative impact on the safety of medium voltage (MV) and low voltage (LV) systems. With the scope of preserving the main network stability, international and national grid connection codes have been updated recently. Consequently, distributed generators (DGs) and storage units are increasingly called to provide stabilizing functions according to local voltage and frequency. This can be achieved by suitably controlling the electronic power converters interfacing small-scale generators and storage units to the network. The paper focuses on the regulating functions required to storage units by grid codes currently in force in the European area. Indeed, even if such regulating actions would enable local units in participating to network stability under normal steady-state operating conditions, it is shown through dynamic simulations that they may increase the risk of unintentional islanding occurrence. This means that dangerous operating conditions may arise in LV networks in case dispersed generators and storage systems are present, even if all the end-users are compliant with currently applied connection standards.

Keywords: distributed generation; power regulation; energy storage systems (ESSs); interface protection system (IPS); unintentional islanding detection; network stability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/3/387/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/3/387/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:10:y:2017:i:3:p:387-:d:93431

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().