skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Accelerating Development of Advanced Inverters.

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1233568· OSTI ID:1233568
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Increasing the penetration of distributed renewable sources, including photovoltaic (PV) generators, poses technical challenges for grid management. The grid has been optimized over decades to rely on large centralized power plants with well-established feedback controls. Conventional generators provide relatively constant dispatchable power and help to regulate both voltage and frequency. In contrast, photovoltaic (PV) power is variable, is only as predictable as the weather, and provides no control action. Thus, as conventional generation is displaced by PV power, utility operation stake holders are concerned about managing fluctuations in grid voltage and frequency. Furthermore, since the operation of these distributed resources are bound by certain rules that require they stop delivering power when measured voltage or frequency deviate from the nominal operating point, there are also concerns that a single grid event may cause a large fraction of generation to turn off, triggering a black out or break-up of an electric power system.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
1233568
Report Number(s):
SAND-2015-11124R; 616448
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English