Incorporating storage in network operation to increase the amount of solar PV that can be connected to electricity networks

Increasing the amount of distributed generation (DG) requires an effective management of distribution networks in order to mitigate the technical problems caused by DG such as voltage rise and feeder overloads. In this study an energy storage system (ESS) is used as an option to actively manage the distribution network to increase the capacity of solar PV DG. In addition to ESS, the on-load tap changer (OLTC), power factor (PF) and generation curtailment (GC) controls are also deployed. Results show that the capacity of solar PV connected to the case study network increased from 8 MW without applying active network management (ANM) to 120 MW with ANM controls being activated. Furthermore, the utilization of ESS as an ANM option shows an increase in energy utilization from solar PV through reduction of generation curtailments. Financial analyses however show that solar PV is currently not economically feasible without incentives.