Flexible grid connection and islanding of SPC-based PV power converters

Photovoltaic power plants (PV) are equipped with anti-islanding algorithms, embedded in the converters controller, to avoid the island operation. However, the current trends in the development of the future electrical networks evidence that it is technically feasible and economically advantageous to keep feeding islanded systems under these situations, without cutting the power supply to the loads connected to the network. Nevertheless, commercial PV power converters are programmed as grid-feeding converters, and they are unable to work in island mode if there is not an agent forming the grid. In order to overcome this problem the Synchronous Power Controller (SPC) is presented in this paper as a suitable alternative for controlling PV inverters. As it will be further discussed this controller permits PV plants to operate seamless in grid connected and island mode, with no need of changing the control structure in any case. Moreover, the participation of SPC based power converters integrating energy storage enables other grid-feeding systems to contribute to the grid operation in island conditions. The results achieved with the SPC will be shown in simulations and also with experiments considering a real PV power plant combining SPC and comercial converters.