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DOE OSTI · 3023777

Grid-Forming PV Inverter: Technology Development and Microgrid Applications

Wang, Wenzong·Kim, Taehyung·Gross, Dominic·Afshari, Amir·Baum, Jacqueline
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Abstract

Presently, excluding residential backup power applications, grid-forming (GFM) inverters are commercially available for battery energy storage system (BESS) and some PV plus battery systems but not yet for stand-alone PV. This tech update investigates the control design for GFM PV inverter, especially the control required to provide active power reserve and to stabilize the dc link voltage. Subsequently, the use cases of GFM PV plants in utility-level microgrids are discussed considering fully inverter-based microgrids (i.e., with PV and BESS) as well as mixed-source microgrids (i.e., with PV and diesel generator). Scenarios where active power up-reserve from GFM PV plants is beneficial are illustrated. Moreover, requirements and specifications for GFM PV plant, especially for its active power reserve function are developed. In addition, stability of an example utility-level microgrid with two GFM PV plants and a diesel generator is analyzed to shed light on the potential unstable interaction between multiple GFM resources and the countermeasures. This research aims to advance GFM PV technology to offer more flexibility in microgrid design. With GFM PV available, depending on the level of reliability required, cost-benefit analysis, etc., the GFM BESS or diesel generator may be sized smaller while leveraging the full potential of PV generation inside the microgrid.

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14 SOLAR ENERGY24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTIONDERgrid-formingmicrogridpower reservesolar PVstability

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Wang, Wenzong, Kim, Taehyung, Gross, Dominic, Afshari, Amir, Baum, Jacqueline. 2023-12-15. Grid-Forming PV Inverter: Technology Development and Microgrid Applications. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/3023777

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