Impact Evaluation of Grid-Connected PV Systems on PQ Parameters by Comparative Analysis based on Inferential Statistics

Abstract

The intermittent injection of power and the nature of power electronic devices used for photovoltaic (PV) systems can affect the power quality (PQ) of the grid to which they are connected. This study proposes to quantify and evaluate the impact of PV injection on the PQ of a low-voltage (LV) network by applying a statistical analysis through hypothesis testing for the mean comparison of populations of parameters with and without a PV system. The effects of PV power injection and load demand at the point of common coupling on PQ are monitored. The methodology includes the selection and monitoring of PQ, the use of a matrix for classification of data with similar load and PV power injection conditions, and the application of the Wilcoxon rank sum test. This methodology was applied to evaluate the impact of a 9.8 kWp PV system on the PQ of an LV network.