A Fast Quasi-Static Time Series (QSTS) Simulation Method for PV Impact Studies Using Voltage Sensitivities of Controllable Elements

Yearlong quasi-static time series (QSTS) simulations at second-level granularity are required to accurately model controller devices and determine the impact of PV resources on distribution systems. However, the computational time for running such simulations takes 10 to 120 hours for a realistic-sized distribution feeder. This long simulation time is preventing widespread adoption of QSTS simulation for PV impact studies and more generally impact studies needed for all types of distributed energy resources (DERs). This paper proposes a fast QSTS simulation approach by substantially reducing the number of power flow solutions used during the simulation. The proposed method uses voltage sensitivities to model the control logic and behavior of system regulators and capacitors, accurately predicting the control actions of system controllers without having to solve all the power flows through time. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated on the IEEE 13-bus test case with 100 times faster computational time.