Voltage control by using capacitor banks and tap changing transformers in a renewable microgrid

This paper is based on an ongoing project that is evaluating the potential for a microgrid in a city in northwest region of the US. Power for the microgrid will be supplied largely from existing hydroelectric generators and proposed photovoltaic installations. This study focuses on the voltage profiles of all of the buses in the microgrid during different seasons of the year and identifies the ways to ensure adequate voltage quality. The microgrid is modeled in Powerworld. The steady state behavior of the voltage profile is studied over time using time step simulation in Powerworld in four different seasons of a year. The main objective of this paper is to study the effectiveness of using shunt capacitor banks or on load tap changing or a combination of both for improving the voltage profile of all the buses in the microgrid.