Voltage regulation method for a distribution network with high-penetration of distributed photovoltaic energy considering a converter’s reactive power regulation characteristics

After a high-penetration distributed photovoltaic (DPV) energy integration into a distribution network (DN), there is a phenomenon that the power flow fluctuates randomly in magnitude and direction with DPV output. This leads to significant voltage fluctuations in DN, and in severe cases, voltage violations occur. Fully utilizing the reactive power regulation potential of DPV converters and energy storage converters can effectively address this voltage violation issue. First, the voltage operation characteristics of a DN are analyzed. Then, the reactive voltage regulation characteristics of converters and the constraints affecting their reactive regulation capability are studied. Based on these analyses, a reactive self-response voltage control method considering the reactive regulation characteristics of converters is proposed, and the reactive action threshold is optimized. In this method, converters compare locally measured voltage with the reactive action threshold to rapidly perform reactive actions. Finally, simulations demonstrate that this method can effectively solve the voltage violation problems of DN what have a high-penetration of DPV. © 2024 Power System Protection and Control Press. All rights reserved.