Fully distributed real-time voltage control in active distribution networks with large penetration of solar inverters

This work addresses voltage regulation problems in low-voltage distribution networks with a large penetration of solar photovoltaic inverters. We propose a fully distributed algorithm that computes solar inverters’ active and reactive power setpoints. We consider a convex surrogate of the Branch Flow Model, which is solved iteratively using the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM). Improved voltage regulation is achieved by using local voltage measurements. Only active power curtailment and inverter losses are minimized to maximize the inverter owner’s profit. The algorithm is tested on low-voltage (LV) networks with more than 100 buses. This method outperforms a currently implemented scheme in LV networks.