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Advanced Energy (AE) will address three important needs in the further deployment of photovoltaic (PV) systems: 1) demonstrating and commercializing a new anti-islanding method utilizing Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), 2) demonstrating a set of advanced grid support functionalities of power electronics, and 3) demonstrating a novel “ramp rate controller” to enable control of the downward ramp rate of a PV plant under transient cloud conditions.
The technology proposed to be developed under this opportunity directly targets improving the operational characteristics of PV inverters using systemwide awareness to impact the greater electrical utility system. Intermittency of the PV plants, system safety, and inter-operation with utility electromechanical voltage regulation equipment are all addressed and improved upon. Synchrophasors are leveraged for time synchronized system state awareness, as well as control optimization at the point of generation. Energy storage is used in an economical sense to moderate the cloud induced transients and induced voltage affects of high-penetration PV. Lastly a novel island detection technique is introduced that overcomes false nuisance trips due to real grid events (large motor starts, etc.) while reliably detecting true island events without causing power quality issues.
Project Poster (click to expand)
AE will address three important needs in the further deployment of PV systems. The first is a need for an island detection method that reliably detects a loss of connection to the utility, without false trips, and while facilitating grid-support functions. The AE team will demonstrate and commercialize a new method utilizing synchrophasors that have all the desired properties, and demonstrate that the data needed for this method has significant additional value.
The second is a need for new means to ensure that high rates of PV deployment do not cause excessive feeder losses or adverse interactions with utility voltage regulation equipment. The AE team will demonstrate a set of technologies using advanced measurement techniques to enable PV and other inverter-based distributed generators to more fully utilize the advantages of power electronics and optimize the performance of distribution feeders in real time.
The third is a need to ensure that PV plant output fluctuations due to cloud passages do not occur at a rate faster than what can be followed by other generating plants. The AE team will respond to this response with a “ramp rate controller” that utilizes novel controls and a novel power electronic converter topology to enable control of the downward ramp rate of a PV plant under transient cloud conditions, without requiring irradiance forecasting.
Each of the proposed technologies plays a key role in moving PV from being a “negative load” toward becoming a utility asset.
- Instrument feeders with time synchronized measurement technologies
- Inverter locations
- Voltage regulation equipment
- Critical nodes throughout feeder
- Build simulation tool-set for rapid analysis and development
- Central data storage for analysis
- Detailed feeder level models (East and West Coast)
- Incorporate “measured” data and events into model for validation
- Model and simulate feeder response under transient conditions
- Loading scenarios (daily / weekly / seasonal)
- Irradiance and temperature scenarios (weather station inputs)
- Location and size of storage solution “optimization”
- Deploy developed technologies
- Long term demonstration and analysis
- Voltage stability and power quality analysis
- Economic validity
This project will enable reduced ancillary services requirements from utilities, which reduces high-penetration PV integration costs, and will reduce certification costs for inverters, thereby helping PV to maintain its downward cost trajectory. Costs will be further reduced by the demonstration of additional value that can be derived from these technologies beyond the applications directly pursued in this project. Furthermore, all these technologies will help remove barriers to high-penetration PV, thereby raising the allowable penetration level of PV on grids.
Patent US8907615 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DYNAMIC POWER COMPENSATION, SUCH AS DYNAMIC POWER COMPENSATION USING SYNCHROPHASORS was granted for technology developed in this project.