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A Reactive Power Control Strategy for Distributed Solar Inverters in Low Voltage Rural
Distribution Grids Without Communication Infrastructure

Erhan Demirok1, Pablo C. Gonzalez2, Martin C. Svendsen1, Kenn H.B. Frederiksen3, Dezso
Sera1, Remus Teodorescu1
1
Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, 2Technical University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain,
3
EnergiMidt A/S, Silkeborg, Denmark

The main objective of this study is to increase penetration level of photovoltaic (PV) power
production in the grid by considering line overvoltage and transformer overloading limitations.
The study presents a reactive power control method based on sensitivity analysis for grid-
connected distributed solar inverters. The sensitivity analysis shows that reactive power support
is more effective on the grid voltage regulation if the solar inverter is located at the end of the
feeder. Therefore, higher power factor (PF) should be set for the inverter which is connected
closer to substation due to smaller impedance observed from connection point to upstream
network. Based on this knowledge, location-dependent PF set values are assigned to each solar
inverter. In order to prevent unnecessary reactive power absorption from the grid, active power
variation is also measured and considered in the control method. Compared to the equally fixed
PF dispatching among inverters, the proposed method provides smaller network losses and
MV/LV transformer loading that allows more PV system installations. Performance comparison
of different reactive control methods is achieved by simulation of a real test network.
Additionally, experimental reactive power control setup has been built together with a solar
simulator and a single-stage 2-level inverter. The setup verifies that the control method can be
easily integrated into inverters.

The above text is an abstract of a manuscript initially published in the IEEE Journal of
Photovoltaics.

View the full manuscript at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=5503869

978-1-4244-9965-6/11/$26.00 ©2011 IEEE 002588

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