Voltage fluctuations on distribution level introduced by photovoltaic systems

In moderate climates, short fluctuations in solar irradiance and their impact on the distribution grid will become an important issue with regard to the future large-scale application of embedded photovoltaic systems. Several related studies from the past are recalled. The approach that is presented here applies a localized spectral analysis to the solar irradiance and derived quantities in order to determine the power content of fluctuations, depending on their characteristic persistence. Pseudorandom time series of solar irradiance, based on measured values of the instantaneous clearness index, are applied as input data. Power-flow calculations are carried out in order to assess the impact of fluctuating solar irradiance on the grid voltage. The "fluctuation power index" is defined as a measure for the mean-square value of fluctuations of a specific persistence. A typical scenario is simulated, and the results are interpreted.