Characterizing local high-frequency solar variability and its impact to distribution studies

doi:10.1016/j.solener.2015.05.028

Title: Characterizing local high-frequency solar variability and its impact to distribution studies

Abstract

Accurately representing the local solar variability at timescales relevant to distribution grid operations (30-seconds and shorter) is essential to modeling the impact of solar photovoltaics (PV) on distribution feeders. Due to a lack of available high-frequency solar data, some distribution grid studies have used synthetically-created PV variability or measured PV variability from a different location than their study location. In this work, we show the importance of using accurate solar PV variability inputs in distribution studies. Using high-frequency solar irradiance data from 10 locations in the United States, we compare the ramp rate distributions at the different locations, use a quantitative metric to describe the solar variability, and run distribution simulations using representative 1-week samples from each location to determine the impact of solar variability on the number of tap change operations. Results indicate up to a 300% difference in the number of tap change operations when using PV variability profiles from the different locations.

Authors:

Lave, Matthew Samuel ^[1]; Reno, Matthew J. ^[2]; Broderick, Robert Joseph ^[2]

Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Publication Date:: 2015-06-11

Research Org.:: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)

OSTI Identifier:: 1497655

Report Number(s):: SAND-2014-16368J
Journal ID: ISSN 0038-092X; 672037

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Solar Energy

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 118; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0038-092X

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; Solar variability; Distribution grid integration; Voltage regulator; Tap changes

Citation Formats


                    Lave, Matthew Samuel, Reno, Matthew J., and Broderick, Robert Joseph. Characterizing local high-frequency solar variability and its impact to distribution studies.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
        Web.  doi:10.1016/j.solener.2015.05.028.

Copy to clipboard


                    Lave, Matthew Samuel, Reno, Matthew J., & Broderick, Robert Joseph. Characterizing local high-frequency solar variability and its impact to distribution studies.  United States.  doi:10.1016/j.solener.2015.05.028.

Copy to clipboard


                    Lave, Matthew Samuel, Reno, Matthew J., and Broderick, Robert Joseph. Thu .  
        "Characterizing local high-frequency solar variability and its impact to distribution studies".  United States.  doi:10.1016/j.solener.2015.05.028.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1497655.

Copy to clipboard


                    
@article{osti_1497655,

  title        = {Characterizing local high-frequency solar variability and its impact to distribution studies},

  author       = {Lave, Matthew Samuel and Reno, Matthew J. and Broderick, Robert Joseph},

  abstractNote = {Accurately representing the local solar variability at timescales relevant to distribution grid operations (30-seconds and shorter) is essential to modeling the impact of solar photovoltaics (PV) on distribution feeders. Due to a lack of available high-frequency solar data, some distribution grid studies have used synthetically-created PV variability or measured PV variability from a different location than their study location. In this work, we show the importance of using accurate solar PV variability inputs in distribution studies. Using high-frequency solar irradiance data from 10 locations in the United States, we compare the ramp rate distributions at the different locations, use a quantitative metric to describe the solar variability, and run distribution simulations using representative 1-week samples from each location to determine the impact of solar variability on the number of tap change operations. Results indicate up to a 300% difference in the number of tap change operations when using PV variability profiles from the different locations.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.solener.2015.05.028},

  journal      = {Solar Energy},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 118,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2015},

  month        = {6}

}

Copy to clipboard

Journal Article:

Free Publicly Available Full Text

Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Publisher's Version of Record

DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2015.05.028

Other availability

Search WorldCat to find libraries that may hold this journal

Citation Metrics:

Cited by: 46 works

Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Figures / Tables:

Figure 1: Map of high-frequency data.

All figures and tables (14 total)

Save / Share:

Export Metadata

Save to My Library

Works referencing / citing this record:

Irradiance Variability Quantification and Small-Scale Averaging in Space and Time: A Short Review
journal, July 2018

Lohmann, Gerald
Atmosphere, Vol. 9, Issue 7
DOI: 10.3390/atmos9070264

Figures / Tables found in this record:

Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.

Similar records in OSTI.GOV collections:

Final Technical Report: Low-Cost Solar Variability Sensors for Ubiquitous Deployment.

Technical Report Lave, Matthew Samuel

In this project, an integrated solution to measuring and collecting solar variability data called the solar variability datalogger (SVD) was developed, tested, and the value of its data to distribution grid integration studies was demonstrated. This work addressed the problem that high-frequency solar variability is rarely measured – due to the high cost and complex installation of existing solar irradiance measuring pyranometers – but is critical to the accurate determination of the impact of photovoltaics to electric grid operation. For example, up to a 300% difference in distribution grid voltage regulator tap change operations (a measure of the impact ofmore »« less
DOI: 10.2172/1234481

Full Text Available
Operational impacts of high penetration solar power on a real-world distribution feeder

Conference Dong, Jin ; Xue, Yaosuo ; Kuruganti, Teja ; ...

Higher penetration of solar photovoltaic (PV), with their uncontrollable generation variability, imposes various grid stability challenges on distribution system operation. The primary problem is significant voltage rise in the distribution feeder that forces existing voltage control devices such as on-load tap-changers and line voltage regulators to operate more frequently. The consequence is the deterioration of the operating life of the voltage control mechanism. The objective of this paper is to investigate the voltage impact of increased penetration of PV systems on distribution load tap changer operations. Both steady-state and quasi-static power flow analyses have been conducted to assess the impactmore »« less
DOI: 10.1109/ISGT.2018.8403344

Full Text Available
A stochastic downscaling approach for generating high-frequency solar irradiance scenarios

Journal Article Zhang, Wenqi ; Kleiber, William ; Florita, Anthony R. ; ... - Solar Energy

Solar power is increasingly cost viable with solar photovoltaic (PV) installations becoming commonplace. PV planning and operational studies, however, require high-frequency solar irradiance scenarios to understand potential electric grid impacts due to the variability and uncertainty of the underlying solar resource. Existing remote sensing solar data products are often available over large spatial domains, but are limited in temporal resolution. For example, the global horizontal irradiance (GHI) component contained within the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) is available at time resolution of 30 min on an approximately four-kilometer grid. In contrast, substantial solar variability is present at finer time scalesmore »« less
Cited by 3
DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2018.10.019

Full Text Available
Final Scientific/ Technical Report. Playas Grid Reliability and Distributed Energy Research

Technical Report Romero, Van ; Weinkauf, Don ; Khan, Mushtaq ; ...

The future looks bright for solar and renewable energies in the United States. Recent studies claim that by 2050, solar power could supply a third of all electricity demand in the country’s western states. Technology advances, soft policy changes, and increased energy consciousness will all have to happen to achieve this goal. But the larger question is, what would it take to do more throughout the United States? The studies tie future solar and renewable growth in the United States to programs that aim to lower the soft costs of solar adoption, streamline utility interconnections, and increase technology advances throughmore »« less
DOI: 10.2172/1177772

Full Text Available
Ota City : characterizing output variability from 553 homes with residential PV systems on a distribution feeder.

Technical Report Stein, Joshua S. ; Miyamoto, Yusuke ; Nakashima, Eichi ; ...

This report describes in-depth analysis of photovoltaic (PV) output variability in a high-penetration residential PV installation in the Pal Town neighborhood of Ota City, Japan. Pal Town is a unique test bed of high-penetration PV deployment. A total of 553 homes (approximately 80% of the neighborhood) have grid-connected PV totaling over 2 MW, and all are on a common distribution line. Power output at each house and irradiance at several locations were measured once per second in 2006 and 2007. Analysis of the Ota City data allowed for detailed characterization of distributed PV output variability and a better understanding ofmore »« less
DOI: 10.2172/1035324

Full Text Available

Similar Records

Title: Characterizing local high-frequency solar variability and its impact to distribution studies

Abstract

Citation Formats

Figures / Tables:

Irradiance Variability Quantification and Small-Scale Averaging in Space and Time: A Short Review journal, July 2018

Irradiance Variability Quantification and Small-Scale Averaging in Space and Time: A Short Review
journal, July 2018