![]() The upshot is that increasing numbers of these traditional power plants are getting retired, and grid operators are scrambling for ways to keep their networks running with the same high level of reliability that their customers have long taken for granted. As more and more homeowners put PV panels on their roofs, the power they are supplying is reducing the need for big, centralized generating plants. Smart inverters are poised to fill a big need in the fast-evolving electric-utility industry. ![]() As distributed solar grows and big power plants are retired, VOC will help keep the grid stable. Steady State: A new technique known as virtual oscillator control allows smart solar inverters to sense and adjust to grid disturbances, such as a sudden change in frequency or voltage. ![]() They can’t sense what is happening on the grid and adjust themselves accordingly. Although they supply AC at the right voltage and frequency to sync with the distribution grid, they are otherwise passive. The vast majority of inverters sold to homes and businesses today, including the one on Johnson’s house in Boulder, are “dumb” inverters. The cause of the problem is the inverter, an electronic system that converts the direct current (DC) supplied by the PV panels into the alternating current (AC) that flows on the power grid. While this is not yet a major problem, it could become one as distributed solar systems proliferate. The power they’re injecting into distribution lines is causing voltage- and frequency-control problems that threaten to destabilize the grid. In the United States alone, the installation of PV systems has seen a compound annual growth rate of nearly 60 percent since 2010, resulting in an installed capacity of 32 gigawatts. Growing numbers of customers are installing solar PV systems on their homes or businesses. Throughout much of the developed world, electric utilities are facing an unprecedented challenge.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |