Local distribution voltage control by reactive power injection from PV inverters enhanced with active power curtailment

Overvoltages in distribution network due to large-scale photovoltaic (PV) penetration can be overcome by controlling the real and/or reactive power injections from the PV inverter. The main objective of this work is to study the enhancement of a droop-based reactive power injection technique by active power curtailment with a purpose of local voltage control. At peak generation and low load scenario, voltage at the PV node can surpass the overvoltage limit. Active power injection curtailment can raise the reactive power output of the PV inverter and thus help to reduce the node voltage. Also, this technique aids the line voltage regulators, as curtailed active power injection requires less frequent tap-changing operations than uncontrolled real injection.