THE EFFECTS OF HARMONICS PRODUCED BY

GRID CONNECTED PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS

ON ELECTRICAL NETWORKS
Abdulvahid Çelebi Metin Çolak
e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected]
Ege University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, 35040, Bornova,
Izmir, Turkey

Key words: Grid connected Photovoltaic Systems, harmonic distortion, simulation

ABSTRACT on but cannot control the timing of turn-off by itself.

Photovoltaic (PV) systems use inverters to get Turn-off should be performed by reducing circuit current
connected to distribution networks that utilize to zero with the help of a supplemental circuit or a source.
alternative voltage. However, harmonic currents Conversely, a self-commutated inverter is characterized in
generated by PV systems may downgrade the quality that it uses a switching device that can freely control the
of the electrical network and alter performance of ON-state and the OFF-state, such as an IGBT or a
other electrical equipment. In this paper, we MOSFET. A self-commutated inverter can freely control
investigate the effects of harmonic distortion on the voltage and the current waveform at the AC side,
electrical networks, depending on the location and the adjust the power factor, and suppress the harmonic
number of the Photovoltaic systems, using Pspice current, and is highly resistant to utility system
simulation program. disturbance. Due to advances in switching devices, most
inverters for distributed power sources such as
I. INTRODUCTION photovoltaic power generators now employ self-
Nowadays, the use of grid connected Photovoltaic (PV) commutated inverters.
systems has become popular in many parts of the world.
A large number of grid connected PV generators
connected to a distribution network through PV inverters
are potentially able to cause harmonic problems.

In general, a harmonic problem can be defined as a

particular disturbance, which is created by the presence of
non-linear components in the electrical system that
determines a permanent modification of the voltage and
current sinusoidal wave shapes in terms of sinusoidal
components at a frequency different from the
fundamental.

In this study, using real data and a simulation program on

a computer, harmonic problems in grid connected PV
systems have been investigated.

In a grid-interconnected photovoltaic power system, the Figure 1 Classification of inverter types.

direct current (DC) output power of the photovoltaic array
should be converted into the alternating current (AC) In a study to investigate the effects of harmonics on the
power of the utility power system. Under this condition, electrical network in Braedstrup, Denmark [5], 60 PV
an inverter to convert DC power into AC power is panels have been installed on 29 houses. Each of panels
required. Various types of inverters are shown in Figure 1. had power of 1 kWp and the composite capacity of the
A line commutated inverter uses a switching device like a PV installations at the neighbourhood totaled 60 kWpeak
commutating thyristor that can control the timing of turn- which was 30% of the feeding transformer’s rated
capacity. The expected contribution to the voltage
distortion from the neighbourhood was in the range of components (R - L) which connected to the grid in
between 0.25-0.65%. However, the voltage distortion parallel. The loads of houses in the circuit are presumed to
measured for the neighbourhood was 1-3%. Hence, it be equal. Voltage, current, and power (active, reactive,
was concluded that the most important part of the voltage and total) at a house in Gumuldur, in Izmir, Turkey have
distortion in the neighbourhood came from external been measured at 10 a.m. in the morning since the PV
sources. At the same time the most significant part of the systems inject the power into the grid during the daytime.
current harmonics produced in the neighbourhood was From the measurements, the resistance ( 128 Ω ) and
caused by TV sets and only to a limited extent by the PV inductance ( 243 mH ) are calculated.
installations. This conclusion is also confirmed by
measurements realized at individual consumers with PV The transformer, which is used in the simulation circuit, is
installations where no differences in the voltage assumed to be linear. A 33/0.4 kV - 50 kVA transformer
distortion of phases with and without energy produced by in the warehouse of Türkiye Elektrik Dağıtım Anonim
the installations had been detected. Şirketi (TEDAS, Electricity Distribution Joint Stock
Company of Turkey) Manisa branch has been measured to
Another study about harmonics was done by IEA in find the inductance value (to use in simulation program)
Rokko Test Center, Kobe, Japan [2]. Five 2 kW PV of the windings (primer and seconder sides) of it with the
systems were connected to the same phase of the help of a RLC meter.
secondary side (single-phase, three wires) of the 30 kVA
pole transformer. The test was carried out under a no- The inverter [1], whose normalized harmonic spectrum
load condition to remove the effects of a harmonic and Total Harmonic Distortion values are given in Table
current from loads. The photovoltaic power generation 1, is used in the simulated circuit. Moreover, in the grid,
systems were successively (at 1-second intervals) there are not any other harmonic sources except the
disconnected from the operating state, while the inverters of PV systems. In addition, it is assumed that
harmonic distortion at each location was measured inverters used in simulated circuit have the same
continuously. When the measurements were done, it was harmonic values.
observed that the rate of harmonic current increase was
not necessarily proportional to the increase in the number Table 1 Inverter current harmonics (Normalized to
of connected units. Fundamental) and its THD value.

Sydney Olympic Site, Australia was also an interesting Harmonic order (n) % (In / I1)
site to study the effect of a large number of grid
1 100
connected PV systems on the quality of supply of the
utility systems [4]. The solar village consisted of up to 3 1,5
665 homes. Each of the 665 homes had 1 kWp of 5 0,6
photovoltaics on the roof connected to the local 7 0,3
underground low voltage grid via an inverter. The results 9 0,4
of the measurements from the Sydney Olympic Village 11 0,21
showed that harmonic voltages (1.9%) at the Olympic
13 0,2
Village were far below IEEE 519-1992 limits even after
the operation of all PV inverter systems in the solar THD 1,7
village.
It is presumed that some houses have the PV systems of
Another study has been done in two small Greek islands 2 kWp and so that the effective current of the inverter
(Arki and Antikythera) where Photovoltaic Stations (25 can be calculated as 9 Ampere. This value is adjusted to
kWp) were installed [6]. Inverters of Photovoltaic Table 1 and the result is shown in Table 2. Using the
Stations were used to measure the harmonic voltages and values in Table 2, each harmonic of the inverter is
currents. It was shown that the harmonics injected by the modelled as a current source. Thus, an inverter consists
Photovoltaic Stations to the electric grid were not very of seven current sources in the simulation circuit.
high (1.25% - 1.99% for Antikythera and 1.85% - 5.30%
for Arki) and at most cases they could not cause The wire used in the modelled circuit is a Rose
significant problems to the appliances of the customers. aluminium conductor, which is used in overhead power
lines in low voltage grid in Turkey. The wire is used to
II. SIMULATION feed the group of houses in Figure 2. Each group consists
In the simulation of circuit, it is assumed that only house of four houses and there are five groups of houses with
loads are present in the network. The number of the distances among them as 40 meters. According to the
houses is chosen as twenty and they are fed with mono distances, the resistance and inductance of the wire are
phase low voltage grid of a 50 kVA transformer. The found as 54 mΩ and 0.043 mH, respectively.
houses are designed as a circuit of resistive and inductive
 Table 2 Inverter current harmonics.

5. node
Inverter 3
Harmonic House loads

(2kW)
PV 3
order (n) In (A) (4 * 336 VA)

<
1 9
3 0,135
5 0,054

40 meters
7 0,027
9 0,036
11 0,019

4. node
13 0,018
House loads
Using values mentioned above, and changing location of (4 * 336 VA)

< <
inverters in the modelled system, fifteen different circuits
are simulated and analyzed. The limit of total harmonic
distortion is taken as 5 % in all circuits. The single line

40 meters
scheme of the modelled system is shown Figure 2.

3. node
Inverter 2
III. SIMULATION RESULTS
When the circuit is examined from the point of view of
harmonics, the total harmonic distortion of voltage is House loads

(2kW)
PV 2
increased specifically when the inverter is close to the end (4 * 336 VA)

< <
of the line. However, these voltage harmonic distortions
(0.075%) are far below the IEEE 519-1992 limits (5%)
because the system chosen is close to the ideal electrical

40 meters
system in terms of the quality of energy. Increase in the
number of PV systems causes voltage rise in the
distribution line, particularly at the ends. In addition, 2. node
current harmonic distortions increase when the number of
inverters increases but do not exceed the limit of 5%
(1.96%). House loads
(4 * 336 VA)
< <

IV. CONCLUSION
According to the results of the simulation, the harmonic
distortion generated by PV generators is below the
standards in a distribution network which has only house
40 meters

loads. Moreover, if the Photovoltaic generators are

located near the transformer, the harmonic distortion
becomes even lower. In addition, installing Photovoltaic
1.node
Inverter 1

systems close to the transformer helps to control voltage

rise in the distribution lines.
House loads
(2kW)
PV 1

(4 * 336 VA)
< <

Inverters used in the simulation circuit affect the

harmonic levels, so their quality properties are important
40 meters

for the grid. For example, using an inverter [3] whose

0. node

harmonics are higher than the inverter we examined here,

the current harmonic distortion changes between 7% -
16% in the simulation. This result shows that inverters to
33/0,4 kV-50 kVA

be used in PV systems should be chosen carefully.

<

transformer

In future work, we should investigate the effects of

harmonics produced by grid connected Photovoltaic
systems in the simulated circuits in which consist of
different types of inverters, loads, and systems.
Figure 2 Single line scheme of the modelled system.
 REFERENCES
1. Cyganski, D., Orr, J.A., Chakravorti, A.K. and
Emanuel, A.E., Current and Voltage Harmonic
Measurements and Modeling at the Gardner
Photovoltaic Project, IEEE Transactions on Power
Delivery, Vol. 4, pp.800-809, 1989.
2. Kitamura, A., Demonstration Test Results For Grid
Interconnected Photovoltaic Power Systems, Report
IEA PVPS (International Energy Agency
Implementing Agreement on Photovoltaic Power
Systems) T5-02, pp.17-27, 1999.
3. Perincek, O., Fotovoltaik Güç Sistemleri Elektrik
Şebekesine Bağlandığında Oluşan Anomaliler, MSc
Thesis, Ege University Engineering Faculty, Izmir,
Turkey, 2003.
4. Vasanasong, E. and Spooner, E.D., The Effect Of
Harmonic Currents Produced By Numbers Of The
Sydney Olympic Village’s PV Systems On The
Power Quality Of Local Electrical Network, IEEE
Transactions on Power Delivery, 07803-6338-8,
pp.1001-1006, 2000.
5. Verhoeven, B., Utility Aspects Of Grid Connected
Photovoltaic Power Systems, Report IEA PVPS
(International Energy Agency Implementing
Agreement on Photovoltaic Power Systems) T5-01,
pp.12-23, 1998.
6. Vokas, G.A. and Machias, A.V., Harmonic Voltages
and Currents on Two Greek Islands with Photovoltaic
Stations: Study and Field Measurements, IEEE
Transactions on Energy Conversion, Vol.10, No.2,
pp.302-306, 1995.