Provision of reactive power support ancillary services from distributed generation based on renewable energy

Reactive power has a significant influence on the reliability and security of power systems because it perturbs voltages throughout the system. An appropriate and applicable power system operation is totally important to prevent voltage collapse or instability, decrease system losses and avoid equipment damage, such as overheating of transformers, generators and motors. This operational regime can be accomplished if there is sufficient and adequate reactive power support in the system to maintain the voltages within acceptable limits in normal operating conditions. This paper will compare the provision of reactive power support ancillary service in distribution networks by conventional equipment such as capacitor banks and Distribution Generation (DG) units based on renewable resources. The reactive power support service will be investigated on a generic model of a 13 bus IEEE distribution generation system as a test network. The test network will be simulated and assessed by using the commercial DIgSILENT Power Factory, and results obtained will be discussed.