Stability Analysis and Design of Local Control Schemes in Active Distribution Grids

The connection of distributed energy resources (DERs) to distribution feeders can significantly increase the operational flexibility of system operators. Local feedback control schemes (such as Volt/VAr droop curves) are a cheap, scalable, and communication-free solution to control DERs in active distribution grids. However, these controllers can interfere detrimentally with each other when they act on multiple DERs connected to the same grid. We show that even the standardized curves recommended in the most recent grid codes may exhibit an unstable behavior. In this paper, we investigate the stability of local incremental DER control laws in three-phase active distribution grids with balanced, and unbalanced loading, and we bound the resulting rate of convergence. The use of low-pass filters on the DER set-points allows us to achieve closed-loop stability even for high-gain local control laws that would otherwise destabilize the grid. This feature is particularly relevant in data-driven approaches that yield optimal DER local control schemes, often in the form of steep customized piece-wise linear Volt/VAr curves.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the impact of local feedback control schemes on system stability when distributed energy resources (DERs) are connected to distribution grids, and explores solutions to the interference issues among multiple DERs. Using low-pass filters on DER set-points achieves closed-loop stability, preventing grid destabilization even with high-gain local control laws.