Increasing distributed generation using automatic voltage reference setting technique

The increasing connection of distributed energy generation in a distribution network may lead to unacceptable voltage rise. An automatic voltage reference setting technique, acting on the tap change control of the transformer supplying the network, can be used to address this problem. By measuring essential voltage points along the distribution network, an automatic voltage reference setting technique is applied to the automatic voltage control (AVC) relay. The AVC relay then controls an on-load tap changing (OLTC) transformer in order to maximise distributed generation while maintaining the feeder voltage within limits. The automatic voltage reference setting technique and its implementation are described. A closed-loop testing facility, based on a real time digital simulator (RTDS), was constructed and used to test the technique. The paper presents and discusses the results obtained and shows how this technique may be used to maximise the distributed generation that can be connected to a distribution feeder.