Utility grid impact with high penetration PV micro-inverters operating under burst mode using simplified simulation model

Photovoltaic (PV) micro-inverter operating under burst mode tends to improve efficiency figure under light load conditions but on the other hand, it also creates power quality impact to the utility grid. In this paper, the burst mode operation has been tested extensively, and the results are used as the basis of study for high penetration PV in a large-scale system. In order to study the impact of burst mode in different penetration levels, small number of PV micro-inverters were tested, and the simplified models were established by matching the experimental and simulating results. The models were then applied to a large-scale power system for high-penetration PV study. The results indicate potential voltage flicker under high penetration levels, especially when PV is the main energy source in a micro grid.