Mitigation of voltage band violations through distributed active and reactive power control of inverter based PV generation on LV networks

With the increasing number of photovoltaic systems connected to low-voltage distribution networks, voltages in such networks are subject to abnormal voltage rise through the injection of active power. This is particularly the case with rural low-voltage distribution networks, where the sensitivity of these networks is high, and even modest power injections from PV systems can lead to voltage band violations. By aiming at actively managing and prioritizing the reactive power balance of such inverter based generation units and, where needed, limiting of active power injection, the voltage profile of the LV network can be maintained at acceptable levels. This paper demonstrates preliminary results of a distributed active and reactive power management scheme able to limit voltage band violations through reactive and active power management while keeping the number of required communication channels low.