| dc.description.abstract | Cloud movement can result in a rapidly changing power output of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. This can result in power quality problems in the distribution network. The larger the installed solar PV capacity, the greater these problems become. Rapidly changing voltage levels in the distribution network result in the power quality related problem of voltage flicker. This thesis aims to quantify the impact of an increasing installed solar PV capacity in the low-voltage (LV) grid on voltage flicker by performing a case study for the Lombok LV grid located in Utrecht, the Netherlands. In order to do so, this thesis uses solar PV data with 2-second resolution and 40%, 70% and 100% PV penetration scenarios. Afterwards, this thesis explores the potential of 1) active power curtailment 2) grid reinforcement and 3) using a supercapacitor for voltage flicker mitigation in each of the scenarios. The results of this thesis show that currently the thresholds of visible (0.826 V/2s) and annoying (1.927 V/2s) voltage flicker are not crossed in the Lombok LV grid which suggests that there currently is no voltage flicker problem. However, in all of the PV penetration scenarios a significant amount of voltage flicker is present. The larger the PV penetration rate, the more often the thresholds for visible and annoying flicker are crossed. Applying the proposed voltage regulation options to the scenarios shows that active power curtailment is potentially promising for voltage flicker mitigation if very precise (forecast) data is available. Most of the voltage flicker was mitigated whilst only curtailing a maximum of 2.26% of the solar PV power output. Grid reinforcement has some mitigating effect, but not enough to solve the voltage flicker problem. The supercapacitor option is found to be most promising for voltage flicker mitigation, mitigating close to 100% of the voltage flicker in each of the scenarios. However, the installation of supercapacitors would require changes in legislation to make them a mandatory component of solar PV systems. Supercapacitors would furthermore increase the pay-back time of solar PV systems by approximately 6% resulting from efficiency losses and associated costs. | |
