Photovoltaic generation effects on distribution feeders

Technical Report · Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5249350

Gulachenski, E M ^[1]; Kern, Jr, E C ^[2]; Feero, W E ^[3]; Emanuel, A E ^[4]

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1. New England Power Co., Westborough, MA (United States)
2. Ascension Technology, Lincoln Center, MA (United States)
3. Electric Research and Management, Inc., State College, PA (United States)
4. Worcester Polytechnic Inst., MA (United States)

As the electric utility industry looks to diversify and expand its energy mix, more and more attention is being focused on alternate energy sources such as roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) generation systems. The principal objective of this research project is to determine if present designs for distributed photovoltaic generation equipment will operate without detrimental effect on either the utility system or the customer owned equipment. Grid-connected roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) systems have been installed by the New England Electric System Companies on 30 houses in Gardner, Massachusetts. All 30 PV houses are in one neighborhood on the very end of one phase of a 13.8 kV feeder. To further illustrate use of the analysis techniques, they were applied to the same 13.8 kV feeder as it might be configured in the year 2018, 30 years hence, with a total of 500 PV installations averaging 6 kW each for a total installed PV generation of 3000 kW. The results not only illustrate use of the analysis techniques in a general sense but also provide realistic examples of the pitfalls that a distribution planner should look out for when designing a feeder with an expected high penetration of customer owned generation. 1 ref., 79 figs., 23 tabs.

• Research Organization: Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States); New England Power Service Co., Westborough, MA (United States); Ascension Technology, Lincoln Center, MA (United States); Electric Research and Management, Inc., State College, PA (United States); Worcester Polytechnic Inst., MA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: EPRI; Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5249350
• Report Number(s): EPRI-EL-6754-Vol.2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140100 -- Solar Energy-- Resources & Availability
140600 -- Solar Energy-- Photovoltaic Power Systems
24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
240100* -- Power Systems-- (1990-)
BUILDINGS
CLIMATES
CLOUD COVER
CLOUDS
DATA
DATA ANALYSIS
DATA COMPILATION
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRICAL TRANSIENTS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
EVALUATED DATA
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GENERAL CIRCULATION MODELS
HARMONICS
HOUSES
INFORMATION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MICROCLIMATES
MONITORING
NUMERICAL DATA
OSCILLATIONS
PERFORMANCE
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SUPPLIES
POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
POWER SUPPLIES
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
RESIDENTIAL SECTOR
ROOFS
SELLBACK
SOLAR CELL ARRAYS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
TRANSIENTS
VOLTAGE DROP
VOLTAGE REGULATORS