A review of strategies to increase PV penetration level in smart grids

Due to environmental concerns, power system generation is shifting from traditional fossil-fuel resources to renewable energy such as wind, solar and geothermal. Some of these technologies are very location specific while others require high upfront costs. Photovoltaic (PV) generation has become the rising star of this pack, thanks to its versatility. It can be implemented with very little upfront costs, e.g., small solar home systems, or large solar power plants can be developed to generate MWs of power. In contrast with wind or tidal generation, PV can be deployed all around the globe, albeit with varying potentials. These merits have made PV the renewable energy technology with highest installed capacity around the globe. However, PV penetration into the grid comes with its drawbacks. The inverter-interfaced nature of the PV systems significantly impacts the power system operation from protection, power flow and stability perspectives. There must be strategies to mitigate these negative impacts so that PV penetration into the grid can continue. This paper gives a thorough overview of such strategies from different research fields: such as communication, artificial intelligence, power electronics and electric vehicle charging coordination. In addition, possible research directions are given for future work.