Power System Stability Analysis under Increasing Penetration of Photovoltaic Power Plants with Synchronous Power Controllers

The utilization of renewable sources brings many benefits to electric power systems, but also some challenges like the impact that renewable power plants employing power electronics have on the grid, which is gaining importance as the penetration of this type of generating stations increases, driven by the construction of large wind or solar photovoltaic power plants. This paper analyses the impact of large-scale photovoltaic power plants on a transmission grid for different penetration levels. The analysis considers power plants formed by a number of power converters employing synchronous power controllers, that allow them to have a harmonious interaction with the grid, and compares their performance with that of conventional power converter controllers, assuming in both cases that the power plants participate in frequency and voltage regulation. The study addresses both the small-signal stability of the system and its response to large disturbances that alter the active power balance and frequency stability. The results of the analysis show that photovoltaic power plants using synchronous power controllers are able to limit frequency deviations, improve the oscillation damping, and reduce the stress of other generating units, thus having a beneficial impact on the power system.