Assessing grid integration of photovoltaic systems in Malaysian distribution networks using load flow analysis

Phang, Siew Wey (2024) Assessing grid integration of photovoltaic systems in Malaysian distribution networks using load flow analysis. Master dissertation/thesis, UTAR.

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Abstract

The proposal aims to address the global energy consumption along with the environmental effects, global climate change caused by the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel and coal fire power generation, the use of solar PV energy is growing exponentially due to its clean, pollution free, abundant, and inexhaustible nature, however in the grid-connected PV system has an acceptance quality level. This project proposal presents the study of the impacts of grid-connected photovoltaics (GCPV) on the distribution network system that are considered with voltage profile and load flow study with ETAP simulation software. Grid-connected photovoltaic systems are promising especially to commercial entities connecting on distribution networks because electricity costs can be a significant operational expense. With the installation of PV systems, these customers with an opportunity to generate their electricity, thereby reducing the reliance on utility-provided power and potentially lowering electricity bills. At present, the sizing of the photovoltaic (PV) systems for commercial customers typically follows a simplified approach based on static load profiles, maximum demand of the premise, or monthly average consumption data. This conventional method often involves analyzing historical energy usage data to estimate the required capacity of the PV system, considering factors such as roof space availability, solar irradiance levels, and local climate conditions. However, this approach is unable to evaluate the dynamic and time-varying nature of both the electricity demand and PV generation, leading to suboptimal system designs and potential mismatches between supply and demand. As a result, such conventional sizing methods may provide inaccurate estimations of the PV system's performance and may either overestimate or underestimate the ability to meet the commercial customer's electricity demand, resulting in inefficient energy utilization or insufficient power supply during critical periods. As such, this thesis presents a study to investigate the performance of the PV systems of a commercial customer using time-series load flow analysis in ETAP simulation software. By incorporating a detailed time domain load profile and solar generation pattern into the simulation software, time series load flow analysis enables a more accurate assessment of the interactions between PV generation and commercial electricity demand throughout the day.

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