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I've asked for clarification from my local DNO on this as I cant seem to find any info, other than this.....below

Do existing Substations have the technology to react quickly to big fluctuations in voltage due to nearby Solar PV installs taking full advantage of nice clear sunny productive days ??

Anyone know anything or would like to comment ?

[h=2]Solar Photovoltaics (PV) Monitoring Equipment Installed In Maltby[/h]The Customer-Led Network Revolution project achieved an early milestone with the installation of equipment at the local substation in Maltby on 29 September to monitor the impact on the electricity network of the planned installation of dozens of PV solar panels on the roofs of the houses of local residents. The equipment will allow the impact on the electricity network to be monitored both prior to the PV installations taking place and after. Installing the equipment necessitated a short interruption to the local electricity supply for safety reasons. Before the installation took place letters were sent out to local residents advising them of the interruption to their power supply together with information about the Customer Led Network Revolution (CLNR) project and why the outage was occurring. Local community leaders were also briefed about the project and the need for the interruption.


 
My understanding is that transformers are designed to operate one way and if there is a significant backfeed from solar PV it can be undesirable. I know of some larger projects that have been stopped due to the cost of upgrading older transformers. Typically to upgrade a local transformer the costs can be 25k+
 
or is it that the DNOs want to restrict as much as possible the installation of SSEG, because that stops them selling people electricity?
Who said the network may not be able to cope, their own engineers or has it been (truly) independantly assessed.
If they make it work in Germany (where 100 panlels on a domestic roof is not unusual) then why can't it be made to work here?
 
This is their response;

""Voltage fluctuations outside of prescribed limits are an extremely rare occurrence and as in your case almost always as a result of a Network Incident. Our Network complies with ESQCR (Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations) which are in place to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable DNO (Distribution Network Operators) take steps to eliminate risks of interference, danger or interruption of supply.

In addition DNO are targeted and measured against their reliability of supply performance via the Energy Networks Association, Engineering Recommendation P2/6, and OFGEM (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets), I can tell you that Western Power’s record are consistently one of the best. I do appreciate that this is of little consolation as you have recently experienced an Incident but I hope you can appreciate that overall our supplies are reliable.

Western Power along with all other DNO’s do not have voltage regulation equipment within their distribution substations however this is carried out on the Primary network.
The statutory voltage limits set by the ENA allows for plus 10% -6% around the 230 volt norm, this regulation allows for volt drop and load fluctuations on the network.

With regard to your query on technology, we have Overcurrent and Earth Fault protection however damaging voltage fluctuations are usually associated with a fault on an underground cable or overhead line away from the sub station, unfortunately it is not practical to cover this eventuality. ""
 
I've asked for clarification from my local DNO on this as I cant seem to find any info, other than this.....below

Do existing Substations have the technology to react quickly to big fluctuations in voltage due to nearby Solar PV installs taking full advantage of nice clear sunny productive days ??

AFAIK the answer is in general no. The substation transformer taps are typically set by hand (I had a friend who kept the substation key when he retired so he could tweak his own supply if necessary).

But if you think about it the changes in load are quite small compared with the classic situation of everyone switching on their kettles simultaneously at the end of Coronation Street, and the network has to be robust enough for that.

Even in the South Hams (S. Devon) PV penetration at the moment is only 1.4% of households (Interactive Charts and Maps: Domestic solar photovoltaic installation - Department of Energy and Climate Change), and the changes in load as the sun goes up/down or in/out are relatively slow (passing clouds do not shade all properties at the same time).
 
Transformer Taps are adjusted remotely its very rare a SAP will enter the substation just to adjust the tap. Also with regard to selling customers electricity, the customers meter will still be turning weather its from the PV or the grid so they still get the money for each KW they consume.

So they do not have to use their own electricity to supply the customer if plenty of PV about, they can claw back he FIT money they have to spend out on the PV consumer
 

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