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Abstract Integration of large-scale renewable energy (RE) system, in which the total impact of high penetration of PV
sources in particular, wind and solar energy into the grid was evaluated. Results showed that 37% penetration of PV at
introduces current and voltage harmonics due to power Gardner was achieved without any significant problems.
electronics devices as well as inverter connected into the RE Asano et. al. [6], analyzed the impact of high penetration of
sources. Ensuring adequate harmonics in the line currents of RE
PV on grid frequency regulation which responds to short-term
integrated power system is one of the biggest challenges today.
Therefore, this study investigates the potential impacts in irradiance transients due to clouds. It was shown that break-
particular current and voltage harmonics causes due to large- even cost of PV is unacceptably high unless PV penetration
scale integration of RE into the Berserker Street Feeder, reaches 10% or higher. Therefore, PV integration needs to be
Frenchville Substation under Rockhampton distribution increased and impacts to be identified and mitigated.
network (DN), Central Queensland, Australia. From the model Characteristics of harmonics injected into a wind energy
analyses, it has clearly evident that harmonics across the integrated power system were investigated with variety of
network increases with the increase of RE integration and configuration and operating condition [7 - 10]. Muljadi et al.
causes uncertainties in the feeder as well as in the DN. This [9] explored the characteristics of self-excitation and
study also explores possible mitigation measures and it has seen
harmonics generated by a fixed-speed induction generator
that optimized STATCOM effectively reducing the adverse
harmonic impacts of integrating large-scale RE into the DN. used in wind turbine generation. The tap changer, capacitor
compensator, the power factor, and the level of generation of
Index Terms Distribution network; Harmonics; Renewable the wind turbine all influence the intensity of saturation as
energy; STATCOM. well as the characteristics and amount of the harmonic source
injection. Power quality behaviors, in particular voltage sags
I. INTRODUCTION and harmonics injection into the network, were investigated in
a study [10] on integrating wind energy into low voltage and
The intermittent nature of renewable energy (RE) sources,
medium voltage networks. A static synchronous compensator
in particular solar and wind energy, has an impact on system
(STATCOM) based control mechanism is used to reduce the
operations including voltage and frequency, harmonics and
power quality problems as well as harmonics on integrating
power quality (PQ) in general, and influences the overall
renewable energy into the grid. From literature, it was evident
performance of the power network as well as the distribution
that STATCOMs are superior compared to other mitigation
network (DN). Inverters connected with RE sources, non-
methods such as static var compensator (SVCs) and series
linear customer loads and power electronics devices introduce
saturated reactors, STATCOMs being faster, smaller and
harmonics in the distribution network that causes overheating
having better performance at low-voltage conditions [11 - 13].
of transformers, tripping of circuit breakers, and reduces the
From the literature, it is observed that most of the available
life of connected equipment [1 - 4]. Therefore, harmonics is
research was carried out primarily in US and Europe [5 10].
one of the most dominant attributes that need to be kept in a
However, Australian distribution network is different
minimum level to ensure PQ of the network. Significant
compared to other developed countries in many forms in
research and development works are undertaken by various
particular, geographical location, weather conditions and
agencies throughout the world to investigate and mitigate
population density. Therefore, research conducted by other
harmonics in power system networks. The Gardner MA PV
countries could not simply be adopted without further research
project [5] explores four areas: the effect on the system in
in Australian context. Moreover, most of the research
steady state and during slow and cloud transients; responses of
considered for small-scale RE penetration in a small network.
concentrated PV under fast transients; harmonic effects on the
This study developed a model that investigates the observed
PV system; and the overall performance of distribution
potential challenges in particular harmonics injection into the [16] in which it was indicates that reasonable solar power is
grid using power system simulator PSS SINCAL [14]. The only available from 7:30am to 5:30pm, while peak solar
Berserker Street Feeder, Frenchville Substation, radiation is at 12:30pm. Hourly average summer wind speed
Rockhampton, was selected as a suitable site for investigation of Rockhampton, Australia is used for load flow analysis.
of large-scale deployment of RE into the grid. By increasing
PV/wind integration into the network, the points at which TABLE I. CONNECTED LOAD IN DIFFERENT ZONES
distributed generation starts to have an impact on utility grid Zone Name Conventional Load Connected
operations has investigated with regards to network Name Centre Load,
or Node kVA
performance standards. Worst-case scenarios were identified
Number
and measures were taken to reduce the level of adverse Observation Zone 1 Zone 1 8 1175.07
harmonics impacts. Observation Zone 2 Zone 2_Feeder 1 7 761.584
II. MODEL DEVELOPMENT Observation Zone 3 Zone 3_Feeder 1 7 910.418
Observation Zone 4 Zone 4_Feeder 2 6 826.595
To investigate the impacts of RE integration to support the
Observation Zone 5 Zone 5_Feeder 2 9 1100.81
loading of a Feeder, this study developed a model for
Berserker St Feeder, Frenchville. Berserker Street Feeder
comprises 1442 industrial and residential customers with a
connected load of 4775 kVA. A 66/11 kV transformer with a
capacity of 6250 kVA delivers power to the customer. Ergon
Energy [15] as a local distribution network service provider
(DNSP) is fully responsible for smooth delivery of electricity
to the customers in the Berserker Street Feeder.
To monitor the PQ of the Feeder, Ergon Energy installed
an EDMI MK 10 PQ meter (PQ metering site 1689) in the LV
side of the transformer (TX: 20127) on Berserker Street
Feeder, Frenchville Substation. This PQ meter measures phase
voltages with angles, phase unbalance condition and voltage
harmonic distortion of the zone feeders. This case study
initially explored the PQ meter data and analyses the potential
PQ issues with their level of impacts on the feeder as well as
in the DN. Currently only 1% PV of total loading is integrated Figure 1: Single-phase load and PV connection.
with the feeder and hence, these results are mostly based on
the connected customer load along with line impedances.
In line with the original network facility stated above, a
III. MODELLING CASE SCENARIOS
66/11kV step-down transformer with a capacity of 6250KVA
was considered in the Frenchville Substation to deliver power Considering feeder load demand and future RE integration
supply in the Feeder. The zero sequence resistance and several case scenarios were considered and accordingly
reactance of the step-down transformer is 1.29 ohm and 25.84 developed the model. Actual line length and impedances are
ohm with 8% short circuit voltage. This case study, considered for all of the studied case scenarios. The case
subdivided the feeder into two zone feeders and several zone scenarios considered in this case study are:
observation points to observe adverse harmonics effects on to x Case 1: Grid with only load.
the different points of the distribution network. Number of x Case 2: Grid with 20% PV integration as shown
load centres with connected load of each Zone is given in in Figure 2.
Table 1. x Case 3: Grid with 50% PV integration.
Three phase HV load was transformed to three single x Case 4: Grid with 50% wind integration.
phase loads with equal amount through an 11kV/415V DT as
x Case 5: Grid with 100% PV integration.
shown in Figure 1 and hence, zone wise load allocation
x Case 6: Grid with 100% wind integration.
remains the same. Single phase RE was connected in the LV
side of the DT as shown in Figure 1 and the amount of PV and x Case 7: Grid with 100% PV and 150% Load
wind depends on the percentage of load demand based on demand.
considered case scenarios. Losses until inverter and inverter x Case 8: Grid with 100% PV integration in
efficiency were considered 5% and 97% respectively both for centralised approach: Instead of distributed PV
PV and wind. connection with individual loads this case
Daily load profiles of Rockhampton for summer was used considered centralised PV connection with each
in this study in which it was shown that maximum load was of the zone observation point. The considered
measured at 2:00PM. A PV load profile was generated for this centralised installation was 100 m apart from the
study in p.u. values from the hourly average summer solar zone observation point. This centralised
radiation of Rockhampton, Australia collected from the BOM generation expected to be deliver electricity to the
local customer located around the zone voltage harmonic distortion significantly as shown in Case 8
observation point. and Case 9 for PV and wind energy respectively. Voltage
x Case 9: Grid with 100% wind integration in harmonic distortion is less in Case 10 compared to Case 4 and
centralised approach: In this case centralised wind Case 6, though 200% RE of total loading was integrated in
generation was considered into the feeder and this case (100% PV in a decentralized approach and 100%
connected only one location in each zone. wind in a centralized approach). Voltage harmonic distortion
across the HV DN and LV DN is shown in Figure 5 in which
x Case 10: Grid with 200% RE integration in both
it can be seen that harmonic distortion approaching the
decentralised and centralised approach: In this
regulatory limits as stated in AS4777 [17] occurs across the
case, 100% PV of total loading was connected LV network for Case 4, Case 6 and Case 7, while being within
with decentralised connection and 100% wind of the safe limits in the HV DN. Case 2, Case 3 and Case 5 have
total loading was connected with centralized the same system configurations except for the level of PV
connection approach. integration, and total voltage harmonics distortion in the LV
network for Case 2, Case 3 and Case 4 are 2.56%, 2.83% and
3.16% respectively.
From analysis of the results it was shown that current decentralised connection approach. It can be concluded that
harmonic distortion exceeded the regulatory limits for use of power electronic devices along with intermittent
100% PV integration and both 50% and 100% wind generation causes harmonics in the system. Therefore, this
integration. Therefore, it can be stated that wind energy study explores the possible mitigation measures that can
injected more voltage and current harmonics into the feeder potentially reduce the adverse harmonics impacts caused by
than the solar PV. Voltage and current harmonic distortion large-scale RE integration.
was less in the centralised connection approach than the