Ensuring the Integrity of the Network

An increasing number of production units are being connected to the distribution network each year. This trend appears to be becoming more pronounced as incentive programs for the provision of renewable electricity are introduced by the provinces.

A number of studies and projects are aimed at supporting the connection of distributed generation to the network. Standards are being put in place to ensure employee safety, network reliability and power quality.

For the connection of distributed generation to the network, the choice of protection and conversion equipment can have an impact on the network. Depending on the distributor’s requirements, additional equipment or power quality studies may be necessary.

In the planning of distribution networks, the tolerated level of risk, its impact and the cost of equipment required for the connection must always be reconciled. The studies and standards developed to integrate renewable energy into the distribution network are produced with this perspective in mind.

As a starting point for this analysis, a number of studies are being carried out by CanmetENERGY in collaboration with its industrial partners. The scope of the work undertaken by CanmetENERGY in this field is as follows:

• Commercial relays field tests for passive anti-islanding protection schemes of synchronous generator based DGs
• Fault contribution of grid-connected inverters
• On the compatibility of fault location approaches and distributed generation
• House model implementation for power quality studies
• Computer simulation modeling and analysis of the dynamic behaviour of a reciprocating engine based distributed generation unit during islanding transition
• Review of distributed generation product and interconnection standards for Canada
• Grid connection commissioning of 180 kW biogas generator at Terryland Farm
• Dynamic analysis and field verification of an innovative anti-islanding protection scheme based on directional reactive power detection
• Protection coordination planning with distributed generation
• Distributed generation case study 6 - Investigation of planned islanding performance of rotating machines
• Distributed generation case study 5 - Investigation of passive anti-islanding for rotating machines
• Distributed generation case study 4 - Dynamic behaviour during grid parallel mode  
• Transient modeling and simulation of wind turbine generator and storage
• Effect of adding distributed generation to distribution networks - Case study 3 : Protection coordination considerations with inverter and rotating machine based DG
• Effect of adding distributed generation to distribution networks - Case study 1: Voltage regulation in 25 kV weak system with wind and hydro generation interconnected
• Impact of large-scale distributed generation penetration on power system stability

To learn more about this issue, see the Publications section.

Managed by CanmetENERGY at the Varennes (Quebec) research centre.