Analysis of PV generation impacts on voltage imbalance and on voltage regulation in distribution networks

Recently, the number of distributed generators has been increasing significantly in distribution networks worldwide. Photovoltaic (PV) generation is one of the renewable energy resources that have received support and global attention in the past few years. Thus, it is essential to verify which possible impacts this technology can bring when introduced into distribution systems. The aim of this paper is to carry out studies in order to verify the impacts on voltage regulation and on voltage imbalance when the installed PV power increases. The studies were carried out by using the software OpenDSS. Our results show that the increase of PV generation can reduce the voltage imbalance and also can cause voltage regulator tap changes. Moreover, it is shown that such tap changes followed by a massive PV disconnection can cause voltage variations capable of violating normal steady-state voltage requirements.