Volt-Var Curve Reactive Power Control Requirements and Risks for Feeders with Distributed Roof-Top Photovoltaic Systems

C. Birk Jones, Matthew Lave, Matthew J. Reno, Rachid Darbali-Zamora, Adam Summers and Shamina Hossain-McKenzie
Additional contact information
C. Birk Jones: Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800 MS 1033, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
Matthew Lave: Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800 MS 1033, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
Matthew J. Reno: Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800 MS 1033, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
Rachid Darbali-Zamora: Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800 MS 1033, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
Adam Summers: Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800 MS 1033, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
Shamina Hossain-McKenzie: Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800 MS 1033, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-17

Abstract: The benefits and risks associated with Volt-Var Curve (VVC) control for management of voltages in electric feeders with distributed, roof-top photovoltaic (PV) can be defined using a stochastic hosting capacity analysis methodology. Although past work showed that a PV inverter’s reactive power can improve grid voltages for large PV installations, this study adds to the past research by evaluating the control method’s impact (both good and bad) when deployed throughout the feeder within small, distributed PV systems. The stochastic hosting capacity simulation effort iterated through hundreds of load and PV generation scenarios and various control types. The simulations also tested the impact of VVCs with tampered settings to understand the potential risks associated with a cyber-attack on all of the PV inverters scattered throughout a feeder. The simulation effort found that the VVC can have an insignificant role in managing the voltage when deployed in distributed roof-top PV inverters. This type of integration strategy will result in little to no harm when subjected to a successful cyber-attack that alters the VVC settings.

Keywords: hosting capacity; volt-var curve; photovoltaic; voltage management; electric feeder (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: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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