Static compensator for maintaining voltage stability of wind farm integration to a distribution network

Electricity generation from wind has grown sharply and its growth potential is still significant. However, the decentralized nature of the wind opposes the historically centralized structure of national networks. Unlike conventional sources, wind does not provide reactive power, which is necessary to maintain acceptable voltage conditions on the network. The use of Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) in distribution network to compensate for vagaries such as production related to wind energies and to control the voltage is an optimal solution. This paper is aimed at presenting a point of view on the wind power generation control issues. The main idea is to propose the use of a FACTS such as the STATCOM, which is a compensation device that is capable of generating and/or absorbing reactive power and in which the output can be varied to control the specific parameters of an electric power system and improve the quality of the energy provided, i.e.. to regulate the desired power flows in a power network and to provide the best voltage profile in the system as well as to minimize the system transmission losses when inserting the wind generator in the electrical network. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.