Photovoltaic

This report by the IEA Photovoltaic Power System Programme presents an overview of research results and field experiences on the subject of local voltage support by distributed generators (DGs). The focus of this report is the German power supply system, which has experienced a significant photovoltaic (PV) expansion of approximately 36 GW within the last decade. Case study results from different countries like Belgium, Austria and the United States complement the findings on local voltage support by PV systems. A major PV integration challenge is the voltage regulation in distribution grids with a high PV penetration. Advanced PV inverter functions, like reactive power control or active power curtailment, can help to reduce the impact of PV feed-in on the local voltage magnitude. Nowadays, several countries demand reactive power and partly active power control capabilities from DGs in their grid codes and DG interconnection guidelines. Central control (coordinated control) approaches by DGs are not in the scope of this report.