Estimation of Aggregate Reserve with Point-of-Load Voltage Control

Abstract

Voltage dependent loads can collectively provide a certain amount of power reserve (by virtue of the ability to change their power consumption within the stipulated voltage tolerance) which could be exploited for grid frequency regulation through voltage control at the substation/feeder or at the point of load. The amount of such power reserve would vary with time of the day depending on the incidence of different types of voltage dependent loads and also the voltage profile across the feeders. It is important for the grid operators to know the aggregate power reserve from the voltage dependent loads during different times of the day in order to schedule other forms of reserves accordingly. This paper presents a methodology to estimate such power reserve from the measured power and voltage at the bulk supply points without knowing the actual distribution network topology and/or load profile of individual customers. The proposed method is applied to estimate the time variation of the aggregate reserve offered by the voltage dependent loads within the domestic sector in Great Britain. Studies on a standard IEEE distribution network are presented to validate the estimated reserve margins under typical voltage profiles across the distribution feeders.