Optimal Voltage/Var Control of PV Inverters in Distribution Network Based on Genetic Algorithm

The increasing scale of photovoltaic (PV) in the distribution network brings serious power quality issues, especially significant voltage violation. Considering the cost, traditional voltage regulation methods are not suitable for the system with high PV penetration. Based on the PV inverters which can offer fast and flexible reactive and active power support, this paper proposes a new comprehensive PV operation optimization method. Firstly, by investigating the effect of the PV active power curtailment on the voltage regulation, a mathematical optimization model is built. Then the genetic algorithm (GA) is implemented to solve the proposed model and coordinate the PV reactive and active power output. Finally, a 5-bus system is designed in simulation. The results verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method in regulating voltages and minimizing active power curtailment of PVs.