Experiment Specification 3.01.01

3.01.01

TC3

Simulating the effectiveness of PV power plant controls for voltage regulation

UCY-FOSS DER-Grid Smart Facility

The voltage regulation control methods proposed in Test Specification 22.01 (Volt-Watt and Volt-VAR operation of smart inverters) will be evaluated on a typical low voltage (LV) feeder (DER-Grid Smart Facility of UCY-FOSS). The LV feeder includes loads (fixed uncontrollable) and a grid-connected PV system (AC-coupled via a smart inverter). The feeder and localized voltage regulation controls will be digitally mapped and simulated using the EMTP software.

• PV system with smart inverter (SMA SB 3.0 PV inverter)
• Smart meter (Schneider PM8000)
• EMTP software

The LV feeder at the UCY-FOSS DER-Grid Smart Facility will be digitally mapped using the EMTP software. The feeder includes loads, a grid-connected PV system (coupled to the grid via a smart inverter), a smart meter (grid measurements at the PCC) and a PAC (grid-edge PPC device).

The localized voltage regulation controls will be modeled as a PV system PPC block configured as:

• PI controller for reactive power control
• Controller based on Volt-VAR curve settings
• Controller based on Volt-Watt curve settings

The effectiveness of the proposed control methods to regulate the voltage at the PCC of the simulated grid will be evaluated by applying a step change in the voltage and analyzing the output response of the modelled PV system PPC block.

Finally, the performance of the implemented controls will be assessed by applying actual consumption and generation data-sets acquired at the feeder over a yearly period (1-minute resolution consumption and generation data).

• Uncertainty of smart meter voltage and power measurements (0.5%)
• Uncertainty of smart inverter active and reactive power measurements (1%)

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