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Engineering and technology
- Automation and control systems
- Electrical energy production and distribution
- Renewable power and energy systems engineering
In order to meet the environmental and economic targets set by many governments, massive
amounts of distributed generation (DG) units, often fed by renewable energy sources, are being
integrated in the electric power system. However, the grids are designed for the integration of large
central generators at the highest voltage levels, not for integrating many small DG units at lower
voltage levels. Also, many DG units generate power in an intermittent manner with low
predictability. This poses challenges on the grid operation, such as an increased occurrence of
voltage problems. Therefore, the DG units will need to contribute in the grid control. By providing
ancillary services to the system operators, the integration of DG in the network could become more
smooth and less expensive.
This research focuses at the provision of ancillary services, mainly highlighting voltage control in the
medium and low-voltage networks. The developed control strategy will firstly, be effective and
generic in the sense that with the same control strategy, multiple grid elements can assist in the grid
control, e.g., not only renewable sources but also controllable loads. Secondly, the actions of these
grid elements will be coordinated in order to avoid oscillations and to capture as much of the
renewable energy as possible at minimal network losses. The results will be a higher production of
renewable energy, while maintaining a resilient, robust and efficient power system operation.