Comparison of reactive power regulation concepts of distributed generators in the low voltage network

As the number of distributed generators (DG) in the utility networks grows, problems arise which were not predicted when the networks were designed. One of those problems is the concept of the reactive power generation of the DG units which affects the voltage profile and active and reactive power losses in the network. Taking this into consideration, a combined MV and LV network simulation model was built, based on a real-case situation. Load-flow simulations using different scenarios of reactive power management by the DG units were performed and are presented in the paper. Resulting voltage profiles and the active and reactive power losses were compared for each scenario. A sensitivity analysis based on voltage variations due to the active or reactive power variations of the DG units was also performed.