Advanced voltage control method for improving the voltage quality of low-voltage distribution networks with photovoltaic penetrations

As the number of photovoltaic (PV) power generators connected to the distribution grid increases, applications of on-load tap changers (OLTCs), power conditioning systems, and static reactive power compensators are being considered to mitigate the problem of voltage violation in low voltage distribution systems. The reactive power control by power conditioning systems and static reactive power compensators can mitigate steep voltage fluctuations. However, it creates losses in generation opportunities. On the other hand, OLTCs are installed at the bases of distribution lines and can collectively manage the entire system. However, the conventional voltage control method, i.e., the line drop compensation (LDC) method, is not designed for the case in which a large number of PV systems are installed in the distribution network, which results in voltage violations above the limit of the acceptable range. This study proposes a method to determine the optimal LDC control parameters of the voltage regulator, considering the power factor of PV systems to minimize the magnitude of voltage violations based on the voltage profile analysis of low-voltage (LV) distribution networks. Specifically, during a measurement period of several days, the voltages at some LV consumers and pole transformers were measured, and the optimal parameters were determined by analyzing the collected data. The effectiveness of the proposed method was verified through a numerical simulation study using the actual distribution system model under several scenarios of PV penetration rates. Additionally, the difference in the effectiveness of voltage violation reduction was verified in the case where all the LV consumer’s consumer voltage data measured per minute were used as well as in the case where only the maximum and minimum values of the data within the measurement period were used. The results reveal that the proposed method, which operates within the parameters determined by the voltage analysis of the LV distribution network, is superior to the conventional method. Furthermore, it was found that even if only the maximum and minimum values of the measurement data were used, an effective voltage violation reduction could be expected. © 2021, The Author(s).