A photovoltaic voltage regulation impact investigation technique

With changing weather patterns or clouds moving over a given utility service area, the power generated by any photovoltaic (PV) systems in that service area will vary tremendously. Depending on the percent penetration of these PV systems on a distribution feeder, these variations in the PV systems' performance may cause undesirable voltage fluctuations along the feeder and also may impact the operation of the voltage regulating equipment on the distribution feeder. A model was developed to simulate these variations in PV system outputs due to moving clouds and to predict the distribution system voltage performance and the effect on the distribution system voltage regulating equipment.