Co-simulation set-up for testing controller interactions in distribution networks

Information and Communication Technologies are necessary to tap the full potential of decentralized energy resources. However, the integration of these novel technologies to the existing infrastructure will prove challenging considering a level of complexity that cannot be analyzed via conventional tools and methods alone. For this reason, the interaction of multiple control strategies from the perspective of assessing the dynamic stability of the system are tested systematically. The approach takes into consideration the main requirements of the system operator and uses a co-simulation framework to integrate different simulation tools. Models for the main controllers have been developed and tested to identify possible controller conflicts or operational inefficiencies. The main use case under study is voltage and reactive power control in an MV grid.