Present understanding of the impact of Distributed Generation on Power Quality

One of the solutions to meet the growing load demand in rural and remote areas is to introduce distributed generation (DG) within the existing network. With different types of power generation available at present, it is believed that some designs contribute significantly to a network´s power quality (PQ). Standards and guidelines pertaining to PQ are one of the criteria that limits the level of DG penetration in a network. This paper provides an overview of some of the known PQ issues related to the introduction of different types of DG systems into a power network. The analysis is based on common types of DG system designs and associated technologies. Based on the available literature, common PQ problems arising from DG systems impacting on power network as well as common existing network based PQ issues impacting on DG systems have been identified. As a result of these common PQ problems, some types of networks can be identified as requiring immediate attention.