Effective Wind Farm Sizing Method for Weak Power Systems Using Critical Modes of Voltage Instability

Current methods for determining wind farm maximum sizes which do not consider voltage stability margins (VSMs) may result in reducing the overall levels of wind generation in a system. In this paper, new methods have been developed to increase wind penetration level by placing new wind generation at voltage stability strong wind injection buses. Placing new generation at these buses has the least impact on VSMs not only in the vicinity of new wind generation, but also throughout the power system. The new methods provide a comprehensive methodology for the identification of system weaknesses for each wind penetration level. The new methods incorporate modal analysis as well as traditional voltage stability methods (Q-V curves) in sizing and placing new wind farms. The study shows that the location of SVCs is also key to increasing wind penetration. Wind penetration can be increased when placing SVCs at the weakest buses in the system instead of only locating them at the wind generation buses.