Consumer-data approach to assess the effect of residential grid-tied photovoltaic systems and electric vehicles on distribution transformers

The authors examine the impact of residential photovoltaic arrays and electric vehicles on distribution transformers by using 3-D surface and 2-D filled contour plots. These visualizations, somewhat unorthodox to power distribution analysis, elucidate the impact of hundreds of assets on distribution transformers on a single view. The visualizations are created with a smart grid computer model that accepts residential electrical recordings in one minute intervals. An analysis of simulation results shows that the electrical footprint experienced by a residential community and its distribution transformers stems from photovoltaic arrays rather than from electric vehicles. Additionally, the results indicate the existing distribution assets may be ready to support the proliferation of photovoltaic arrays and electric vehicles, a common concern across utilities in the United States.