OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS OF PV INVERTER REACTIVE POWER CONTROL STRATEGIES FOR MICROGRIDS

The constantly increasing penetration of renewable energy sources triggered an accelerated transformation process for the energy sector worldwide. The photovoltaic (PV) industry, with applications from the residential sector up to largescale photovoltaic power plants (PVPPs), was amongst the fasted growing industries. Recently, PVs were integrated in the reactive power control which represents a major component of the microgrids' resources management, aiming at assuring optimal operating conditions. This paper investigates different reactive power control strategies for the PVPPs within a medium voltage microgrid. An operational analysis for a one-year period is conducted to select the most efficient reactive power control strategy.