Estimation of Photovoltaic Hosting Capacity Due to the Presence of Diverse Harmonics in an Active Distribution Network

Renewable distributed energy resources are the solution to rising power demand, but their integration is a difficult technological undertaking that requires careful planning. Distributed energy resources are mostly incorporated in the final level of power system networks, where harmonic content swings are highest. At the planning stage, the highest potential power injection, i.e., hosting capacity, is estimated while taking into account the main anticipated operational challenges, one of which is undesirable harmonics. But it is not possible to include all operational harmonic orders precisely for accurate hosting capacity estimation. The presence of harmonics affects the hosting capacity of the network to a considerable extent. In this work, operational derated hosting capacity is proposed to enhance the situational awareness for calculating the change in hosting capacity of the network due to the presence of operational dominant harmonics, as compared to the ideal condition. Additionally, the effect of harmonics on the power factor of the network nodes are also investigated thoroughly, abiding the limits of IEEE-519-2014. Because in any distribution network, unbalance cannot be neglected, operational derated hosting capacity is also extended for testing unbalanced conditions within the network. Indicators such as voltage, current, harmonic distortion, and power factor are studied thoroughly to analyze the derated hosting capacity. To justify the effectiveness of the proposed work operational derated hosting capacity is compared with the existing literature. A reconfigured IEEE-33 bus distribution network is considered for assessment. The authors utilized MATLAB along with Typhoon HIL real-time platform for modeling as well as for validation of the results.