Impact Assessment of APFC and Solar PV on IITGN Ring Main Distribution Network

High penetration of distributed energy resources has revolutionized the structure of the existing distribution networks and led the evolution of an active distribution network. Although active distribution networks provide better utilization of renewable resources, it suffers a few issues, mainly over voltage and over current. This paper investigate the performance of the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) ring-main distribution network using ETAP software. The effect of 500 kWp solar PV on IITGN 11 kV, 3-phase, 3-wire ring-main distribution network is examined in full-day variations of load demand, and the impact of Automatic Power Factor Correction (APFC) panel on the network is analyzed. The results compare the hourly voltage and current profile in the distribution network with and without APFC. Additionally, network attributes are evaluate using thermal images generated by ETAP software under different conditions.