Cloud Induced PV Impact on Voltage Profiles for Real Microgrids

Integration of renewable energy sources (RESs) into power systems has been a popular topic for a long time. Due to government policies and incentives, it will be more popular in the future since it is a free and environment-friendly nature. Besides its advantages, photovoltaic (PV) generation causes some serious problems to the grid. Since PV generation directly depends on the solar irradiance, cloud movements can cause sudden changes on the output of PV power and this results in some power issues in the system such as voltage violations, reverse power flow, voltage fluctuations. These types of issues complicate to maintain voltage within compulsory levels at customer sides. Thus, cloud-induced transients in PV power are seen as a potential handicap for the future expansion of renewable energy resources. This study investigates effects of instantaneous changes in PV power on the customer side voltage levels. Daily PV power output and voltage profiles were simulated using a real-world microgrid design that will be implemented in the Malta College of Arts Science and Technology (MCAST) Campus.