Impact of Wind Power Plant Operation on Voltage Quality Parameters—Example from Poland

Abstract

In Poland, there has been a steady increase in the share of wind-generated energy in the overall energy balance of the country. However, wind power plants belong to unstable energy sources—the amount of generated power is variable in time. Variable generation may cause problems with the quality of energy transmitted in electricity networks. Therefore, this article presents the results of field tests of the impact of the Vestas V90 2 MW wind turbine on selected voltage quality parameters occurring in the grid. Due to the multifaceted influence of the power plant on the parameters of the grid to which it is connected, the article focuses only on four selected parameters: voltage value, zero and reverse asymmetry, and the value of the voltage distortion factor. The research conducted by the authors confirmed the positive influence of the operation of the wind power plant on the quality parameters of the electricity transmitted through the power grid. An increase in the power generated in the tested Vestas V90 power plant resulted in a decrease in the values of both the asymmetry factor (zero and reverse) and the total voltage distortion factor THDU.