2014 International Symposium on Computer, Consumer and Control

The Effects of Distributed Generator Accessed to

Distribution Network
Baoji Yun # , Zhouxing Fu * , Yingli Wang * , Yuwei Duan * , Zhu Yao *
#

Xian Xirui Protection and Control CO.,LD

Xian 710077, Shaanxi Province, China
1

Yun.baoji@163.com

School of Electrical and Control Engineering, Xian University of Science and Technology
Xian 710054, Shaanxi Province, China
2

fuzx@xust.edu.cn
wangying4li@qq.com

operating cost through determining the number of substation,

the network connection mode, investment level and
arrangement in this area. All of this must meet the load growth
and power system requirement on safe operation. The
accessed DG brings some effects to distribution network
planning such as network topology, output of plant, load
growth model and others aspect.

Abstract Growing peak electricity demand and outstanding of

environment problem, distributed generator (DG) is rising
progressively used as a supplement of concentrated generator.
The influence of DG to traditional distribution network can not
be ignored with quantity increasing of DG. This paper
systematically introduce this influence through three aspects:
distribution network planning, relay protection and power
quality in power grid. Then this paper recommend DGs
development tendency for eliminating these impacts.

A. Impact on load forecasting

Distribution network planning makes a plan according to
basic condition of existing network, while the randomness of
DG accessed to the grid makes every user install and use DG
randomly with their necessity. This type of distributed power
supply mode leads the distribution network planning can not
predict the actual power consumption in the area. Meanwhile,
wind energy source, solar energy and some primary energy
have huge uncertainty and this uncertainty aggravates
uncertainty of DGs output which used for load forecasting.
Some output characteristics of small scale power are shown in
Table 1(e.g. [3]).This solution makes load forecasting more
difficult.

Keywords Distributed generator; Distribution network;

Impact; Distribution network planning; Relay protection; Power
quality; Frequency adjustment;

I. INTRODUCTION
Distributed Generator (DG) is one kind of power generate
equipment, which has advantages of renewable,
comprehensive and gradient utilization of energy (e.g. [1]).
The characteristic of DG includes disperse resource, low
capacity, nearby user and connected to grid through 35kV,
10kV or other lower-voltage grade. DG has special
advantages in term of reducing transmission corridor,
increasing reliability of grid, enhancing utilization of current
energy, resolving load supply of remote area and soon. Thus
DG appeals to more and more attentions with increasing
demand of electricity, much more load during peak time,
depletion of natural resource and highlight of the environment
problem. On the other hand, the combination of large grid
with distributed generation is the tendency of electric industry
(e.g. [2]). However, more and more DG join up grid always
lead huge influence on the initial distribution network. This
influence show in many aspects and main feature on
distribution network planning, relay protection and power
quality. This paper illustrates the impact of DG on distribution
network from these aspects.

TABLE I
CLASSIFICATION AND OUTPUT CHARACTERISTIC OF SMALL SCALE POWER
SUPPLY

Energy

Distributed
Generator
Natural
Solar energy
Energy
Wind energy
Small
water
conservancy
Biological energy
Fossil
Fuel cell
Energy
Combustion
motor
Gas turbine
T-ENG supply
Garbage power

II. DG AFFECTS ON DISTRIBUTION NETWORK PLANNING

Distribution network planning intends to make a grid
system development plan for a certain area on the basis of the
region power load forecast over the next several years and the
basic condition of the existing network. The purpose of
distribution network planning is to minimum the capital and

978-1-4799-5277-9/14 $31.00 2014 IEEE

DOI 10.1109/IS3C.2014.49

stability

output
controllability

bad
bad
good

bad
bad
bad

good
good
good

worse
good
excellent

good
good
middle

excellent
middle
middle

In my opinion, this problem can be solved by a value. The

value can reflect DGs development in this area. Then the load
146

forecast in distribution network planning is equal to actual

power supply consumption multiplied by this value.

distribution network through the inverter (which will produce

more harmonic), Power Supply Company could formulate
certain penalties according to the influence of harmonic.
While users who used of clean energy and contributed to
decrease network loss should be encouraged. In this way, we
can use economic measures to limit the pollution by DG and
ensure interests of Power Supply Company.

B. Impact on Accessing Point

As a kind of distributed generation technology, DG and
centralized generation work together can improve ability and
reliability of power supply. However, different accessing
point always impact these performances. There are two main
types of DG accessed distribution network.

III. DG AFFECTS ON RELAY PROTECTION

Direction of power tide will be changed if DG inserts
power grid (e.g. [6]). When fault occurred on the distribution
network included DG, additional DG tide will cause
protective equipment does not correctly action under the
original value (e.g. [7]-[14]). With the relative location
between DG accessed point and fault point changing, the
influence on relay protection also changes. The effects on grid
(DG included) relay protection mainly contain two parts:
impact on current protection and breaker reclosing.

1 )DG accesses to remote and small load region: this

solution makes full use of the DGs advantages in many
aspects including less funding during interconnection system,
short constructing period, reducing power loss and avoiding
the waste of transmission corridor in centralized generation.
2 )DG accesses to load focusing place which have no
expansion plan: this circumstance can achieve consume
power at the same time of power generating. This way can
lessen transmission-line loss.
However, unreasonable of DGs location and capacity may
decrease equipment utilization in this area and increase line
loss, even lead voltage fall or over-voltage in some points (e.g.
[4]-[5]). In view of all of these can impact on system
reliability, distribution network planning must think ahead
effects caused by accessed DG. The randomness and variety
of DG, unit capacity limitation and total capacity limitation
(total capacity can not exceed grid bearing capacity), all of
these factors make the distribution network planning more
complicated.

A. The Impact of Current Protection

Because traditional grid is supplied by single power that is
main source, the tide streams only from the power to load.
While DG accessed to the traditional distribution network,
network will change from single-ended power supply to multiterminal power supply. If we do not change original action
value, this direction change will result in a significant
reduction in selectivity, sensibility and reliability of the relay
protection once fault occurred.

C. Impact on Distribution Network Layout

The distribution network planning is a problem of dynamic,
multiple targets, uncertainties and nonlinear integer. The
dynamic characteristic associated with grid dimension which
needs to take into account thousands of nodes all over the grid.
When DG accesses distribution network, it is more difficult to
find optimal network layout with the increasing of the
dimension in the network. On the other hand, disparity in
diversification of DGs primary energy, unit type,
construction cost, operation and maintenance, these general
cost cause a lot of problem, such as determining reasonable
structure of power, coordination and effective use of various
type of power.

Fig.1 Distributed network including DG

Fig.1 shows three different relative location between DG

accessed point and fault point. When DGs position fixed, the
impact will change along with changing of fault point. Next is
effects under different circumstances.

D. Impact on Power Supply Company

The accessed DG makes the users in this area gradually
reduce the dependence on transmission line and large power
plant. At the same time, it causes profound influence on the
distribution network such as harmonious, voltage flash, maloperation and operation rejection. These comprehensive
problems in power quality and relay protection will further
affect the operation of system so that decrease revenue of
Power Supply Company. It is not Power Supply Company
willing to see.
As far as Im concerned, this contradiction can be resolved
through the degree of users impact on distribution network
and take corresponding measures. When DG accessed to

1) Fault Occurred in the Feeder of DG Downstream

F1: The current passed QF3 relay protection is I f , only

offered by main source when the system has any DG. While
DG inserts the grid, QF3s current will rise to I f + I g under
the help of DG and QF2s current will be smaller than I f .
This increase of fault current will improve sensitivity and
extend the range of protections on DGs downstream line.
Further, when the fault current is greater than a certain value,

147

IV. DG IMPACT ON POWER QUALITY

DG (especially rotary DG) has a large influence to grid
power quality (e. g. [15-17]). Generally, DG impacts on
power quality contain three aspects: voltage stability,
harmonic and grid frequency adjustment.
Decentralized DG makes distribution network from
radically turn into overall power and load. Under the
circumstance, voltage of load node on the feeder line could be
increased because power flow may from low-voltage node to
high-voltage node, even resulted in some nodes voltage
excess voltage deviation. Once DGs capacity reaches the
certain value, tide will from distribution circuit to distribution
station. Then the way that controlling area voltage through
distribution station is out of action due to reverse voltage
rising in this stations area. Beyond that, on-position, capacity
and unreasonable control of DG get it harder to adjust grid
voltage, hence voltage fluctuation occurring. DG restrains this
voltage fluctuation when DG coordinated operates with local
load. Nevertheless, when DG and local load out of phase, the
voltage fluctuation aggravates even threat to system security.
DG accesses distribution network generally via
synchronous generator, asynchronous generator and inverter
power. If DG inserts distribution network by synchronous
generator or asynchronous generator, the harmonic generated
by these DG can be ignored during the grid operating (e. g.
[18]). While accessed grid by inverter power, DG can be
regarded as a harmonic source. For this reason, we should take
some actions to control harmonic generating by DG or stop
harmonic from entering into distribution network.
Frequency regulation of traditional power system is set by
random growing load and requirement of tie line power
control. After DG accessed to grid, changes of load growth
model and randomness of DG make the adjustment of system
frequency more difficult. Worse still, system frequency may
be maladjusted when main source capacity diminished or the
ability of frequency adjustment decreased. This frequency
maladjustment not only causes losses to the user, but also
brings a lot of problems to power frequency control system.

this current can make the current protection on the line extend
to next line. Similarly, decrease of fault current will lead
opposite result. Obviously, either increase or decrease of fault
current can make the protection loss selectivity.
2) Fault Occurred in the Feeder of DG Upstream (F2): In
case of F2 fault in primary system, the original protection QF2
will act and cut off the connection between short-circuit point
and main source. In view of DG has not removed from power
system, DG continues supplying current to fault point. That is
DGs downstream line is only supplied by DG. In general,
DGs capacity much less than main sources capacity, this
status lets the line voltage drop significantly and even causes
system crash.
3) Fault Occurred in Other Feeder (F3): DG provides
fault current through BA line when some fault occurred in
other feeder (F3). The tide direction just is the opposite of
normal tide. When this current larger than the original value,
QF1 and QF2 will act to cut off fault then blackout will be
spread. On the other hand, DG inserted grid increases other
feeders current. In other words, the current through QF4 on
this occasion is more than DG does not insert the grid. Same
with other solutions, when we do not change original value,
the increased fault current will lead to protection misoperate
on the other feeder, thus relay protection loss the ability of
selective.
Researches show that capacity and on-position of DG can
influent its ability of short circuit power injection. More
capacity of DG and much closer to fault point, DG cause the
greater impact on current protection. In addition, when we use
wind, solar or tidal and other unstable primary energy,
randomness output of DG let this influence to further
complicate.
B. The Impact on Reclosing
On one hand, DG operates in the island state and supply
alone to distribution network when power supply from the
main source is interrupted due to fault. The capacity gap
between DG and main source leads to line voltage decrease
even system crash. On the other hand, 80% to 90% fault
occurred in low-voltage distribution network are temporary
fault, so it is important to recover power in time after fault
disappeared. All of these need system reclose successfully
even if the system contain DG.
When breaker recloses after transient fault has disappeared,
fault line always can recover power because the difference of
voltage between two sides of breaker is small enough. When
reclosing occurred on the line between DG and main source, it
is necessary to consider the following matters:
Considering the corresponding period between DG and
main source;
If DG continues supplying current to fault point after fault
has been removed, this moment breaker recloses will lead to
fault current salute under the action of main current. The
salute arouses arc rekindle and insulation breakdown on the
point of fault, thus transient fault become a permanent fault.

V. CONCLUSIONS
More and more DG put into use in distribution network, the
effects on relay protection and power quality become more
prominent. This paper explained the influence of DG in
distributed network through three big aspects: distribution
network planning, relay protection and power quality. Recent
years many studies devoted to perfect the DG application and
minimize the influence of DG. Development of adaptive
protection (e.g. [19]-[20]), non-communication protection (e.g.
[21]-[22]) and multi-agent (e.g. [23]-[24]) gradually improve
the protection performance contained DG. All of these
researches can reduce the effect caused by DG in some ways.
Overall, protection in power system (which contains DG)
tends to be more intelligent, informatization and digital. All of
these researches make us sure DG will have broader and
deeper application.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT

148

I want to thank for my tutor Baoji Yun and Zhouxing Fu

professor near the end of this paper. They gave me many
guidance and help in the aspect of paper writing. These help
not only let me complete this paper, also made me learn a lot
of knowledge which cannot get from books. So here I express
my deeply thanks.

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