The Effects of Moving Clouds on Electric Utilities with Dispersed Photovoltaic Generation

Abstract

As the incident solar radiation on a utility service area changes, the power generated by utility-interactive solar photovoltaic (PV) generators dispersed throughout that area also changes. The utility must follow these changes with its own generation, just as it now follows normal fluctuations in customer load. This paper presents the results of a simulation designed to assess the maximum possible changes in PV generation that a utility can expect over certain time intervals for different service area sizes. The simulation can be used with a power flow program to study the actual effects of dispersed residential PV generation on a utility.