Abstract
The installed capacity of photovoltaic (PV) systems has been increasing rapidly due to the enforcement of the feed-in tariff scheme in Japan. However, the reverse power flow from the roof-mounted PV systems could cause the voltage unbalance such as voltage-rises in distribution networks. As for the voltage stabilization with reactive power compensation, SVC (Static Var Compensator) has been installed in the high-voltage distribution network until now. On the other hand, the idea of installing the reactive power compensator in low-voltage distribution network is proposed as a promising alternative with its cost-effectiveness. This report proposes an evaluation method of the cost-effectiveness of the reactive power compensator at low-voltage side. We assumed following three installation schemes: (1) the compensator is installed at a consumer end where PV is installed; (2) the compensators are installed at consumer ends selected from all consumer ends; (3) the compensators are mounted at selected power poles. This method can select the most cost-effective scheme, reflecting the annual cost of the compensator as well as the degree of PV penetration.
