Field experience of phasors measurement in a distribution network with increased level of LV-connected PV

BKW is the leading Swiss power utility serving about 1 million consumers. Due to the new government energy policy of incentivising the use of LV-connected micro-production units (in particular PV) and following the likely abandonment of nuclear energy production in Switzerland, BKW is expecting high fluctuations of the power flows on the network due to the high level of injected renewable energy at the LV side of the network. In order to mitigate and prevent the conceived problems on the onset BKW has tested in its network a new smart grid device that works as a low cost phasor measurement unit. The aim is of potentially implementing this feature at critical points in the medium and low voltage grids within the context of a plug & play smart transformer distribution station solution. In the near term, BKW aims at implementing a low cost smart grid monitoring and control system for the LV grid. This would allow to validate whether the real time analysis of the behaviour of the LV network voltage levels will enable dynamic regulation the power factor. As a consequence, stability and reliability of the distribution network shall be kept within acceptable limits even with high penetration of decentralized intermittent microgeneration at the LV grid side.