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access icon free Reaching new solar heights: integrating high penetrations of PV into the power system

© The Institution of Engineering and Technology
Received 14/04/2016, Accepted 12/07/2016, Revised 21/06/2016, Published 17/10/2016

Installed capacity of solar photovoltaics (PV) continues to grow rapidly in the US. High penetrations and can create operational and reliability challenges. PV integration shares some attributes and mitigation strategies with wind, and differs in some key ways that will be discussed. This study investigates PV integration challenges and examines mitigation issues for utilities planning for high penetrations of PV, with a focus on the Western Interconnection of the US. System balancing becomes more difficult due to a duck-shaped net load curve. Flexibility in the remaining generators, load, and the PV itself, is critical in balancing the system. Reliability impacts from PV have been studied less and addressed less than system balancing issues, but become more important at high penetrations. Understanding essential reliability services from PV, weak grid issues with PV, and distributed PV impacts on bulk power system reliability is critical for planning of high penetrations of PV.

Inspec keywords: solar power stations; photovoltaic power systems; power generation reliability; power system interconnection; power generation planning

Other keywords: solar photovoltaics capacity; PV penetration integration; reliability impacts; power system; US system balancing; generators; solar heights; Western interconnection; duck-shaped net load curve; bulk power system reliability; utility planning

Subjects: Power system management, operation and economics; Reliability; Solar power stations and photovoltaic power systems; Power system planning and layout

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