Effect of Variable Solar Irradiance on the Reactive Power Response of Photovoltaic Generators

New grid requirements for large scale photovoltaic power plants (LS-PVPPs) demanding ancillary services make necessary the enhancement of photovoltaic (PV) generator's control. One of the challenges is the reactive power control despite the variable conditions. The aim of this paper is to present the response of reactive power considering the PV generator's capability curves and variable ambient conditions when maximum power point tracker (MPPT) is used for the active power control. For this purpose, a single PV generator of 0.6 MVA is simulated in DIgSILENT PowerFactory
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. The results show that the active and reactive power varies with the ambient conditions.