Reactive Power Management in a Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Power Station: A Case-Study

The paper presents an applicative study on the power quality and energy efficiency operation for a photovoltaic power station with an installed capacity of 8.5 MW. The various operating regimes of the main network elements within the investigated photovoltaic plant are qualitatively and quantitatively. The reactive power flow in the plant that is permanently connected to the grid is especially examined. Thus, the losses within the power transformers and medium voltage cables in the plant are calculated due to the imposed by the load (often deforming and unbalanced regimes). In this manner, opportunities are identified to increase the energy efficiency of the entire system but also methods to improve the quality of energy delivered at the point of its connection to the local energy system.