A study on the harmonic issues at CSIRO Microgrid

With increasing number of photovoltaic (PV) systems connected to the electricity network in Australia, power quality becomes a major concern. There is an increasing interest in Microgrids due to their potential to provide a solution to integrate renewable energy into the wider grid. This paper presents a study on the harmonic issues in a Microgrid. Different experimental scenarios have been carried out to characterize the voltage and current distortions under different operation conditions. Matlab/Simulink simulation and field experimental results have been provided. The results showed that the harmonic current emission can be affected by the output power level of PV inverter. In addition, the current and voltage waveforms distortion at the Point of Common Coupling to the grid is significantly increased when the net power follow through the bus is close to zero.