Integration of Renewable Sources of Energy into
Power Grid
Priyanka Swain, S Jagadish, K N S Uma Mahesh
Power Business Unit
Tata Consulting Engineers Limited
Bangalore, India
pswain@tce.co.in
Abstract—The huge, ever growing demand for electrical
energy has hitherto been primarily met through the combustion
of fossil fuels, and conversion of heat liberated therefrom. The
relentless exploitation of these resources has raised questions
regarding emission of green house gases, particulate pollution,
and their harmful effects on environment. It also brings into
focus the sustainability of generation to satisfy the demand for
energy in the coming decades, from fuels which are not
inexhaustible. Renewable sources of power such as the sun, the
wind and the tides offer solutions to these issues. The
continuously falling cost of Solar and Wind generation
technology has also made this option economically viable. They
are rendered even more attractive by governments in many
countries, which are keen to promote green and clean energy, by
adoption of favorable policies. But the large scale use of
renewable sources of energy give rise to many technical
challenges for the power system engineers. It is necessary to
overcome them before the renewable sources come into wide use
in conjunction with conventional generation based on fossil fuels.
An attempt is made in this paper to identify the issues which
arise as a consequence of integration of the renewable sources
with the existing power grids, and look for solutions to some of
them, particularly the stability of voltage, through the control of
reactive power and active power.
Keywords—RES, SPV, WTG, energy storage, DCI, POI, voltage
ride through, reactive power control, voltage stability
I. INTRODUCTION
The generation, transmission, distribution and utilization
of electrical energy involves both active and reactive power,
the former representing that part which is consumed as true
energy in industrial and transport sectors, lighting, heating and
cooling of commercial establishments and other buildings,
residences etc., and the latter, while being not available for
consumption by such loads, is nonetheless essential to deliver
active power to the loads, at or near rated voltages. Reactive
power is absorbed by motor loads as well as by the lines and
transformers in the transmission and distribution network. In
an ideal conventional power system, the reactive power
consumed by the transmission system is supplied by the
generators in power plants, while that required by the
distribution system and loads is met by capacitor bank
installations, which are distributed across the network. It is
desirable that the reactive power absorbed by loads should be
978-1-5090-6255-3/17/$31.00 ©2017 IEEE
Authorized licensed use limited to: Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University). Downloaded on April 25,2023 at 08:05:34 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
generated by capacitors located as close as possible to the load
centres, because severe voltage drops are caused by
transmitting reactive power over long distances. The design of
a distribution system is generally optimized in terms of
parameters such as the quantum of apparent power, the
distance between the distribution sub-station and the loads,
and the size of the conductors, keeping in view the normal
pattern of apparent power flow from the sub-station to the
loads, so as to ensure a voltage profile that is in compliance
with the requirement of grid code, across the network.
The installation of renewable energy sources (RES) in
various parts of this network will bring about a change in the
load flow pattern of active and reactive power, resulting in a
change in voltage and frequency profile. A gradual increase in
such installations, beyond a point, will completely alter the
prevailing profile of voltage. This change may lead to over
voltage in different parts of the network. The fact that these
changes are dynamic, depending upon the time of day and
weather, adds further to the complexity of the problem. There
is hence a need to study the anticipated changes in the pattern
of power flow, in order to devise suitable controls for
improving system stability, improve reliability and minimize
disruption of service due to operation of built-in protective
features.
Studies aimed at quantification of the effects of variation
in all the parameters of the power system which define its
performance, need to be undertaken. The results obtained
from such studies will aid in the determination of specific
requirements of inverters in respect of control of active and
reactive power, and will support programmes to undertake
modifications to the existing networks to meet these
requirements.
II. CHALLENGES
The main challenges are the steady state and temporary
variations in the voltages at the load terminals and at different
parts of the network, and in the frequency, and their effect on
grid stability and power quality. Such variations occur both in
steady state operation which is gradual, and more rapidly and
randomly, over short periods of time due to passing clouds, or
waxing and waning of wind velocity. Measures should be
taken so as to keep the variations in frequency and voltage
within acceptable limits in compliance with grid codes, even
 2017 IEEE Region 10 Symposium (TENSYMP)
as the output of inverters changes in keeping with the controllers, which automatically regulate the output in order
variations in solar radiation and wind velocity. that the frequency and voltage of the network are maintained
within specified limits at the point of connection.
The maximum current, as also the voltage, should be
known in order to be able to ensure safety of the equipment in The changes in the parameters of V, I, pf, P and Q are
respect of maximum continuous power rating and insulation observed at the locations P1 , P2, P3 ,P4, P5 and P6, shown in
level. Fig. 1.
Power factors at the point of interconnection (POI) will
also vary widely from values usually encountered in networks
without RES. Constraints, if any, imposed on bidirectional
transmission of active and reactive power by in the existing
distribution network should also be examined.

TR. LINE
33 kV
The distortions of voltage and current due to harmonics
(Total Harmonic Distortion and harmonics of certain specific
order), introduced by individual RES may well be within the

11kV LINE
limits laid down in relevant standards, but with their
increasing numbers, the cumulative effect at main busbars
may exceed permissible values. Hence the need for mitigating

INVERTER TRF12
INVERTER TRF1
measures in the form of filters should be investigated.

0.4/11 kV

0.4/11 kV
2 MVA

2 MVA
Fluctuations in solar irradiation and wind cause voltage

INVERTER12
INVERTER1
flicker owing to rapid changes in input power. Steps are

PV ARRAY 12 2 MW
2 MW

DWELLING UNITS
1P SUPPLY TO 32

5kW Load/Unit
3kW PV/Unit
needed to limit it to tolerable levels. Energy storage facilities

and inverters with PQ controls may be necessary so that the
utilization of RES is maximized and the fluctuations due to
variations in weather are smoothened out
The connection between the RES and the grid should not
break during transient system disturbances in the grid, while it
also necessary to ensure the safety of equipment such as the
solar panels, wind generators, inverters etc. i.e. inverters
should have high voltage ride through (HVRT) and low
voltage ride through (LVRT) features.
It is necessary to study each of these issues and evolve
satisfactory solutions, in order to promote the use of energy
from renewable sources on a wide scale. This paper mainly
deals with the aspect of steady state and short term stability of
voltage.
III. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
A section of a typical distribution system, as shown in
Fig.1, has been chosen to develop a model to study voltage
stability, as well as flow of active and reactive power, after
integration of renewable sources with it.
Load flow programme is run on this network, without RES
connected to it, to determine the base parameters of voltage
(V), current (I), power factor (pf), active power (P) and
reactive power (Q) of various circuits. Load flow simulations
are then repeated each time after connecting a 24 MW solar
photo voltaic plant (SPV), a 24 MW farm of wind turbine
generators (WTG), and distributed roof top SPVs with their
contribution increasing in steps. It is possible to predict the
dynamic changes in these parameters by studying their
variation under steady-state with the generation from RES at
maximum and minimum, and repeating these studies at grid
voltages of + 10%, normal and -10%.
These studies have been conducted with simple inverters
as well as with those having active power and reactive power
=
PV ARRAY 1
Fig. 1. Typical distribution network considered for study
IV. STUDY MODEL
The system under study is modeled using a power system
modeling and simulation tool.
A. 24MW Solar PV System Model
The component models of 24MW SPV system include PV
array, maximum power point tracker (MPPT) control, 3-phase
pulse width modulated (PWM) inverter with associated
controls, inverter transformers and a step-up transformer for
connection with utility system.
B. 24MW WTG System Model
A doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) driven by a wind
turbine, is chosen for the study model of the WTG. The model
includes simplified aerodynamic representation of the turbine
blades, gear box, induction generator, and power electronic
converters.
C. Small-scale distributed Rooftop Solar PV Model
The PV model of distributed roof-top system is similar to
that of large grid connected solar PV plant. However, the PV
inverter in such application is usually single-phase.
V. RESULTS OF THE STUDY
Tables I to VI and Fig. 2 to 5 indicate the variations in
active power, reactive power, power factor, voltage and
current flow at measurement locations P1, P2, P3, P4, P5 and
P6.

Authorized licensed use limited to: Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University). Downloaded on April 25,2023 at 08:05:34 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 2017 IEEE Region 10 Symposium (TENSYMP)
It can be seen from tables I, II, and III that with grid
voltage at 100 %, the inverters can be operated at full
generation and the power factor remains close to unity. If the
grid voltage rises to 110% inverters with capability to operate
at 0.95 lead will restrict the voltage rise to 109%, which
otherwise would have been 112%. It is obvious that the
inverter should have a higher capability to operate at still
lower power factors. If the 132kV/33 kV transformer be fitted
with On Load Tap Changer (OLTC) controlled by an
automatic voltage regulator (AVR), it may be used in
conjunction with reactive power controller of the inverters.
The same means of voltage control may be used when the grid
voltage falls to 90%. It is also advantageous to install suitably
sized and automatically regulated capacitor bank in the RES
plant to provide reactive power compensation during periods
of low voltage in the grid. This approach will allow the
optimization of inverters in respect of their reactive power
capability and cost, instead of sizing them to provide full
compensation i.e 0.9 lag or lower still.
TABLE I. VARIATIONS IN STEADY STATE PARAMETERS WITH AND
WITHOUT 24MW SPV AT 100% GRID VOLTAGE
TABLE II. VARIATIONS IN STEADY STATE PARAMETERS WITH AND
WITHOUT 24MW SPV AT 110% GRID VOLTAGE
TABLE III. VARIATIONS IN STEADY STATE PARAMETERS WITH AND
WITHOUT 24MW SPV AT 90% GRID VOLTAGE
Authorized licensed use limited to: Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University). Downloaded on April 25,2023 at 08:05:34 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
The effect of connecting a 24 MW wind farm on the
voltage at locations P5 and P6 is shown in tables IV, V, and
VI. It is assumed that both SPV and WTG plants are
connected to the grid and operate together.
The voltage at P5 and P6 remain at or near 100% without
PQ controllers with the grid voltage also at 100%, but when
the grid voltage attains values of 90% or 110% of the rated
voltage, a reactive power controlling range of +/- 0.95pu, is
not adequate to control the bus voltage at P5 and P6. OLTC
with AVR and, automatically regulated capacitor bank or
wider range of reactive power control in Dynamically
Controlled Inverters (DCI) is necessary in this case as well.
TABLE IV. VARIATIONS IN STEADY STATE PARAMETERS WITH AND
WITHOUT 24MW WTG AT GRID VOLTAGE 100%
TABLE V. VARIATIONS IN STEADY STATE PARAMETERS WITH AND
WITHOUT 24MW WTG AT 110% GRID VOLTAGE
TABLE VI. VARIATIONS IN STEADY STATE PARAMETERS WITH AND
WITHOUT 24MW WTG AT 90% GRID VOLTAGE
Fig. 2 to 5 illustrate the variations in voltage and other
parameters as the contribution from roof top RES installations
increase in stages from 0% to 75% of the power demand of the
network. They too are assumed to operate concurrently with
SPV and WTG plants. It can be seen from the results that until
 2017 IEEE Region 10 Symposium (TENSYMP)
the contribution from these sources exceed 50% of the total
consumption the voltage rise is within tolerable limits, when
the grid voltage is at rated value.
Fig. 2. Voltage variation at P1, P2, P3 and P6 at 100% grid voltage w/t Q
control (UPF)
Fig. 3. Voltage variation at P1, P2, P3 and P6 at 110% grid voltage w/t Q
control (UPF)
Fig. 4. Voltage variation at P1, P2, P3 and P6 at 110% grid voltage with Q
control (lead)
Fig. 5. Voltage variation at P1, P2, P3 and P6 at 90% grid voltage w/t Q
control (UPF)
Authorized licensed use limited to: Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University). Downloaded on April 25,2023 at 08:05:34 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
The voltage at location P1 increases to about 106% at the
level of deployment of 50%, with the grid voltage being at
100%. The rise in voltage is mainly due to fall in its drawl of
active power from the grid. The impact is maximum at 400 V
level, and as one moves upstream in the network from P1, to
the first sub-station, and further up to higher voltage levels,
the change in the magnitude of these parameters progressively
diminishes. Although the permissible upper limit at 400V is
10%, corrective action may be initiated at this point.
The voltage variations brought about by the RES should be
controlled by provision of PQ controllers in DCI, but those in
the grid, which is liable to vary between +/- 10% of the rated
voltage, should be regulated with the aid of OLTC in the 25
MVA 33 kV/11 kV transformer. Combined use of inverter
control and OLTC is more effective than any one of them. For
instance, when the grid voltage is 110%, the voltage at P1
rises to an uncontrolled magnitude of 115%. With inverter
control i.e. operating the inverter at a pf of 0.95 lead, the
voltage can be brought down to 109%. If the secondary side
voltage of the 33 kV/11 kV transformer is maintained at 100
% by means of the OLTC, the voltage at P1 is almost 100%
with inverter control. On the contrary, if the grid voltage goes
down to 90%, voltage at P1, without RES connected, will
follow the grid voltage. At 10% and 20% of RES operating at
UPF, the voltage improves but not to the desired level. It
becomes necessary to turn on the Q control and set it at 0.95
pf lag, in order to improve the voltage further by 2% to 3%.
As the power from RES increases to 50% and beyond, the
voltage, with inverter control switched off, is close to 100%.
The power factor may reach unusually low values of the
order of 0.35 at P1 and 0.7 at P2. It should cause no concern
since it is more a consequence of the fall in drawl of active
power rather than an increase in reactive power.
With the increasing use of RES, a reducing trend is
observed in respect of load carried by the equipment in the
distribution system. The adequacy of the conductors and
transformers to transmit power, whose magnitude and
direction may change as a consequence of large scale use of
RES, does not appear to present any problems, since they are
able to carry current equal to their rating in either direction. In
theoretical sense, one section of the grid may have generation
from RES (SR) up to the sum of 100% capacity of the supply
transformer (ST) and the minimum demand in the network
(SM), whereby the entire load in that section, is met by the
RES, while the surplus power during minimum load
conditions is exported and used elsewhere, without causing
over load in any equipment in that section. Only the OLTC
needs to have bi-directional capability in order to be able to
cope with this contingency. But as discussed in the foregoing
paragraphs, the prospective voltage profile must be studied
before deciding upon the acceptable level of RES penetration.
The frequency may be expected to rise with increase in
active power availability, but the governing action of the
conventional generators in the grid will aid in keeping it
substantially constant, if its rise is gradual. These generators,
operating in droop governing mode, will reduce their output in
keeping with rise in active power output from RES.
 2017 IEEE Region 10 Symposium (TENSYMP)
VI. CONCLUSION
The immediate consequences of concern with integrated
operation of RES on a large scale are the variations in voltage
due to a) diurnal cycle of solar radiation in case of SPV
generation or seasonal variations of wind direction and
velocity in case of generation from WTG, both of which give
rise to relatively slow, cyclic and reasonably predictable
changes, and b) changes during a day, in a time window
lasting few minutes to several hours, due to passing clouds, or
changes in wind velocity affecting the output from RES.
The analysis of the results shows that in the steady state
the parameters of V, I, P, Q and pf deviate considerably from
their normal values. The voltage at POI increases the most,
and its rise is lower at other locations in the grid, the less
pronounced the farther the location is from POI. The voltage
rise is mainly due to reduced flow of active power through the
supply transformer, as a consequence of an equivalent quantity
of active power being generated by RES within the section
itself. Slow variations of this kind in steady state can be
handled by provision of OLTCs and capacitor banks along
with automatic regulators. All transformers in the distribution
system rated 33 kV and below may be fitted with OLTC and
AVR, to maintain the voltage close to rated value.
Temporary fluctuations in voltage, which are caused due to
reasons stated heretofore, are much faster and random in
occurrence, cannot be dealt with in the manner described
above. This issue can be only partly addressed by building
some reactive power capability into the inverters. But the
unsteady nature of the power from renewable sources requires
DCI which controls both active power and reactive power in
real time so as to be able to respond to varying conditions of
solar irradiation and wind velocity. Addition of fast, automatic
and intelligent controllers to inverters, in combination with
energy storage facilities, enables control of voltage as well as
the full utilization of renewable sources, and the operation of
inverters at an optimal level.
It should also be noted that the roles played by the DCI
and the automatically regulated OLTC are distinct and
complementary but not necessarily simultaneous. The OLTC
helps to regulate voltage variations in steady state occurring at
grid level while the controllers integral to the inverters, with
their fast response time, can effectively control more rapid but
temporary variations brought about by the inverters
themselves owing to changes in their input power. DCI will
also respond to similar voltage variations originating in the
grid and complement the conventional controllers.
The issue of over loading of the components of the
distribution system, such as transformers and lines, does not
arise until the contribution from RES does not exceed the sum
of the capacity of the transformer supplying the local network
and the minimum demand of the network.
The transformers in RES plants consume some reactive
power. It is hence necessary to specify a minimum reactive
power capability for the inverters used in RES plants,
consistent with economical design, and to determine the need,
size and number of stages of capacitor bank by conducting
studies so that the grid is not loaded with the reactive power
Authorized licensed use limited to: Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University). Downloaded on April 25,2023 at 08:05:34 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
consumed by RES, particularly when the grid voltage is low.
Both the inverters and capacitor banks should be regulated by
automatic controllers. The inverter should maintain the power
factor close to the desired value at POI, while the controller
associated with the capacitor bank should respond to changes
in grid voltage, and switch the bank in stages as required. The
two control actions need to be coordinated as well.
There is the possibility that with rapid increase in RES,
both at plant level and at distribution level, the active power
may flow back into the grid, particularly at light load
conditions. The OLTC needs to have bi-directional capability
in order to be able to cope with this contingency.
The harmonics generated by the process of rectification
and inversion, and their cumulative effect at the network level,
as also the voltage fluctuations caused by corresponding
variations in power output of RES may give rise to power
quality issues. The distortion due to harmonics should be
assessed, and counter measures to contain them devised. In the
initial phases this need is addressed on case by case basis, and
filters provided if warranted. In the longer term, it may be
necessary to lower the allowable limit of harmonic distortion
for inverters. Short duration voltage fluctuations give rise to
irritable flicker in lighting and may adversely affect voltage
sensitive loads. The PQ controllers in DCI along with energy
storage will mitigate this problem.
The frequency may tend to rise with increase in active
power availability, but the governing action of the
conventional generators in the grid will aid in keeping it
substantially constant, as it tends to rise gradually during the
course of the day. But the rapid fluctuations in power output
of RES give rise to frequency variations that cannot be
regulated by the aforesaid droop control. These rapid
fluctuations in frequency, as those of voltage, is also remedied
by providing energy storage facilities with inverters featuring
active and reactive power controllers, and high speed
switching (DCI).
The inverters should have ride through features which
enable them to remain connected to the grid during voltage
dips caused by external short circuit faults, as well as during
voltage swells due to switching operations elsewhere in the
grid. The duration of LVRT should depend on the maximum
fault clearing time for short circuit faults in the
neighbourhood. The HVRT period should be sufficient taking
into account the time of operation of inverter controls but not
higher than the withstand capability of inverter components.
References
[1] "IEEE Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric
Power Systems," IEEE Std 1547.1-2005
[2] "IEEE Draft Guide to Conducting Distribution Impact Studies for
Distributed Resource Interconnection,” IEEE P1547.7
[3] National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), “Technical Report
NREL/TP-5500-58189”, August 2013
[4] Ministry of Power, Government of India, “Report of the technical
committee on large scale integration of renewable energy, need for
balancing, deviation settlement mechanism and associated issues,” April
2016