Assessment of Photovoltaic Hosting Capacity of Existing Distribution Circuits

Government initiatives have been mandating the increased integration of distributed energy resources (DERs), such as residential and commercial photovoltaic (PV) systems. However, high levels of PV penetration can negatively affect the operations of the distribution system, particularly during mid-day low demand periods. It is of vital importance to gain more understanding of the system and to prepare mitigation plans before the amount of PV installations reaches a critical level. Therefore, properly assessing the PV hosting capacity is necessary.In this paper, the hosting capacities of three real circuits in Alberta, Canada are evaluated using Monte Carlo simulation-based probabilistic power flow (MCS-based PPF) method. The examined circuits cover the cities of Fort McMurray, Lloydminster, and Drumheller. These areas represent circuits of different sizes and complexities. The hosting capacities of the three regions were determined to be 10%, 60%, and 70%, respectively. Buses impacted by PV penetration were found in all three distribution networks. Factors influencing the PV hosting capacity are also identified and analyzed.