Optimal Inverter-Based Resources Placement in Low-Inertia Power Systems

The placement of fast-acting Inverter-Based Resources (IBRs) in the grid can substantially impact frequency response, by rapidly injecting or removing power from the grid. In this work, we present an optimal placement algorithm that maximizes the benefits of utilizing IBRs in providing frequency response services. That is, we minimize the overall system frequency deviation while using a minimal amount of electric power injection from the IBRs. The proposed algorithm uses the resistance distance to place the IBRs at nodes that are central to the rest of the nodes in the network thus minimizing the distance of power flow. The proposed greedy algorithm achieves a near optimal performance and relies on the supermodularity of the resistance distances. We validate the performance of the placement algorithm on three IEEE test systems of varying sizes, by comparing its performance to an exhaustive search algorithm. We further evaluate the performance of the placed IBRs on an IEEE test system, to determine their impact on frequency (transient) stability.