Synchrophasors for island detection

Detection and prevention of unintentional islands powered by distributed generators like photovoltaics remains a key concern of utility protection engineers, especially in high-penetration and grid-support environments. These evolving circumstances dictate that new island detection tools are needed. Synchrophasors are highly promising in this regard, but some in the community remain skeptical about them due to costs. This paper discusses synchrophasors, how they may be used to detect islands, their cost-reducing value-added features, and synchrophasor-based island detection methods.