Double Pilot Node Decentralized Voltage Control of PV Generators via Droop-Type Optimization-Free Reactive Support

Enhancing voltage control (VC) in modern distribution grids with intense photovoltaic (PV) penetration via PV inverter reactive support is a research problem that has received considerable attention. The recent literature has shown that, in general, decentralized VC yields superior global voltage profile regulation compared to local control. This work contributes a novel decentralized method with three important practical-oriented features, namely not requiring voltage control zone coordination, not employing optimization and being directly compatible with basic PV inverter droop controllers. It is based on a new double pilot concept, which generalizes the recently introduced pilot node approach. The proposed method is validated via simulation of a 123-bus distribution system. Obtained results show that it outperforms local control and the aforementioned pilot node method, yielding superior voltage regulation with similar usage of the PV inverter reactive power capacities.