A Quasi-Static Time-Series Approach to Assess the Impact of High Distributed Energy Resources Penetration on Transmission System Expansion Planning

Due to advancements in solar cell fabrication and inverter-based technology, as well as decreasing acquisition costs, solar distributed generation systems have emerged as a promising renewable source. Furthermore, electrification of the transportation system is an alternative promoted by many governments to mitigate the dependency on fossil fuels and achieve the goals of decarbonizing the economy. However, interconnecting a large quantity of distributed energy resources (DERs) to the power system reveals technical problems affecting the entire system. Planning coordinators and grid operators need to understand the full-spectrum impact of DERs on the power system to ensure secure and reliable grid planning and operations. The operation of a Hydro-Québec transmission system planned for 2030 is simulated in quasi-static time series mode with a massive integration of 1 million of electric vehicles and 1000 – 3000 MW of distributed photovoltaics. This paper provided findings on assessment of high DER penetrations impacts on the transmission system in terms of voltage control, mitigation means used, MVAR availability and consumption margin, generating unit optimal operation, and switching actions of several equipment.