Multi-objective coordinated droop-based voltage regulation in distribution grids with PV systems

High penetrations of photovoltaic (PV) systems in distribution grids have caused new challenges such as reverse power flow and voltage rise. Reactive power contribution by PV systems has been proposed by grid codes and literature as one of the remedies for voltage profile violation. Recent German Grid Codes (GGC), for instance, introduce a standard active power dependent reactive power characteristic, Q(P), for inverter-coupled distributed generators. Nevertheless, the GGC recommends a voltage dependent reactive power characteristic Q(V) for the near future, recognizing that the Q(P) characteristic cannot explicitly address voltage limits. This study utilizes the voltage sensitivity matrix and quasi-static analysis in order to develop a coordinated Q(V) characteristic for each PV system along a radial feeder using only the local measurement and drooping technique concepts. The aim of this paper is using a multi-objective design to adjust the parameters of the Q(V) characteristic in the proposed droop-based voltage regulation in order to minimize the reactive power consumption and line losses. On the other hand, it is also possible to adjust the parameters in order to reach equal reactive power sharing among all PV systems. A radial test distribution grid, which consist of five PV systems, is used to calculate power flow and, in turn, the voltage sensitivity matrix. The comparison of results demonstrates that both approaches in the proposed droop-based voltage regulation can successfully regulate the voltage to the steady-state limit. Moreover, it is shown that the profile of reactive power consumption and line losses are considerably reduced by the multi-objective design. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.