Calculation of the Hosting Capacity of Photovoltaic Microgeneration in Electric Energy Distribution Systems

• Grant number: 23/09868-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2023
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Power Systems
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Torquato Borges
• Grantee: Gustavo Elias da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação (FEEC). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The number of connections of photovoltaic distributed generators in low-voltage (LV) distribution systems has been growing exponentially in the last two years in Brazil, with the total installed capacity of mini and microgeneration in Brazilian distribution systems surpassing 20 GW in 2023. Despite the several benefits due to this renewable generation, its massive connection in distribution systems maycause adverse impacts on the system operation and power quality levels. For example, the massiveconnection can cause voltage rise and potentially violate the maximum allowable voltage, voltageunbalance rise (on low-voltage systems) and conductor overload. Therefore, there is a need todetermine the microgeneration connection limit that does not cause this technical limit violation. This limit is called hosting capacity. In this context, this scientific initiation project seeks developing methodologies to calculate this hosting capacity, both using computational simulations in the OpenDSS tool (widely used in the national electricity sector) and using analytical calculations that are faster and do not require computational simulation. Furthermore, this project seeks to contributeto the technical training of the student, who intends to pursue an MSc degree after completing his undergraduate course, and his familiarization with computational simulation tools widely used in the analysis of electrical energy systems.