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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Photovoltaics support distribution feeder

Journal Article · · Electric Light and Power
OSTI ID:456722
The concept of supporting the transmission and distribution (T&D) system with a photovoltaic (PV) distributed energy source has gained increasing attention as the cost of PV energy has declined. Locating a PV system at a strategic point on the distribution feeder can enhance the overall T&D system performance and provide a source of renewable power generation. In such applications, the PV system peak output ranges from a few percent up to about 20 percent of the peak feeder load. A good example of one such project on a line supplied by the Pacific Gas & Electric Co.`s Kerman Substation near Fresno, California. Given the success of this and other projects, Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. (NMPC) will be testing a 100 kW ac output system interconnected with a 13.2 kV distribution feeder to demonstrate PV T&D support concepts in its service territory. The demonstration system construction and operation is to be funded by NMPC, Utility Photovoltaics Group (UPVG) and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). AWS Scientific will manage the site construction and be responsible for maintaining, operating and monitoring the performance of the system. As a prerequisite to construction of the system, the NMPC research and development department funded AWS Scientific Inc. (Albany, N.Y.) and Power Technologies Inc. (Schenectady, N.Y.) to investigate the use of PV energy for T&D support applications on its system. The study involved reviewing a large number of distribution circuits throughout NMPC`s service territory to find candidate locations for the 100 kW demonstration project. A key focus of the study was to find a feeder whereby the injection of PV energy provided maximum dispersed generation benefits.
OSTI ID:
456722
Journal Information:
Electric Light and Power, Journal Name: Electric Light and Power Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 75; ISSN ELLPAJ; ISSN 0013-4120
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English