Using Distributed Energy Resources to Supply Reactive Power for Dynamic Voltage Regulation

Distributed energy (DE) resources are power sources located near load centers and equipped with power electronics converters to interface with the grid, therefore it is feasible for DE to provide reactive power (along with active power) locally for dynamic voltage regulation. In this paper, a synchronous condenser and a DE source with an inverter interface are implemented in parallel in a distribution system to regulate the local voltage. Developed voltage control schemes for the inverter and the synchronous condenser are presented. Experimental results show that both the inverter and the synchronous condenser can regulate the local voltage instantaneously although the dynamic response of the inverter is much faster than the synchronous condenser. In a system with multiple DEs performing local voltage regulation, the interaction of multiple DE at different locations under different load levels may have an impact to the control parameter setting for each individual DE control system. Future research is needed to find out the interaction of DEs to identify the optimal control parameter settings with the consideration of many factors such as system configuration, load variation, and so on. Copyright © 2008 Praise Worthy Prize S.r.l. All rights reserved.