Smart Grids and PVDG Controllers: Enabling Grid Resilience and Reliability

The traditional electricity grid in any region can be identified as quite unsustainable due to its one-way power flow from its power generation source to its end consumption points such as homes and businesses. When there is a higher energy demand, a new power plant has to be erected whereas the old electrical grid is unable to support the variable demand coming from multiple power plants. In order to cater the high energy demand, a power grid that is connected to all power sources and that has the ability to accommodate omnidirectional power flow from end users to sources is needed to create a flexible grid to distribute energy wherever it’s needed the most. This modern grid or “Smart Grid” can optimize the power sources and loads while effectively balancing the fluctuations of the power generated. A smart grid is an efficient power control system that can manage power flows and uses software and automation to integrate between multiple renewable energy power plants and the existing utility electricity grid. The power flow is measured by various sensors instantaneously and the data is then used to optimize the variable power demand of loads.

Developing countries like Sri Lanka is facing massive challenges when it comes to energy demand and supply with the increase of industries in recent years. The country primarily relies on the utility electricity grid for its power supply but this has caused severe disruptions since last year due to the economic turmoil the country is facing. For years, the country has encouraged more renewable energy power generation sources to reduce the dependency on the utility electrical grid to cater for the ever-increasing supply and demand of energy. While solar systems are considered as the most popular renewable energy generation methods, it entirely relies on region-specific irradiation levels and does not generate power during the night. The increased number of power outages also has affected the grid tied solar power generation since they do not generate power during a power outage. As a result, diesel generators were considered as the primary back up power source to power the loads in industries during power outages. However, even that took a major hit due to the restriction of fossil fuel imported to the country last year due to the economic crisis. This caused the industrial sector in the country to have a very tough time running day-to-day operations.

This led to the introduction of small-scale smart grids or in other words “micro grids” to optimize the energy supply by interconnecting both solar plants and diesel generators with energy storage systems. The interconnection between the solar system and diesel generator can be synchronized with each other using a “Smart PVDG Controller”. This synchronization is an ideal way to reduce the fuel consumption of the diesel generator while maximizing the reliance on solar power to cater the load requirement. This smart controller also allows to use solar power even when there is a power outage in the region. The PVDG controller will allow the diesel generator to work under minimum load conditions while the majority of the load will be catered by the solar power system while also ensuring reverse current does not occur in the diesel generator. The reverse current scenario occurs when the solar plant generates more power than the connected load and has the potential to cause damage to the generator. The PVDG controller prevents the reverse current and limits the energy generated by the solar system by creating set points in the grid tied inverters. Usually, diesel generator manufacturers recommend reducing the generator load capacity to 30% to prevent reverse currents in this synchronization. The PVDG controller also has an inbuilt data logger which helps the consumer to monitor the performance of the solar plant against the utility grid and diesel generator loading. The good news is that this solution is not limited to new solar system installations but also existing solar systems and is compatible with any solar panel or inverter brand available in the market.

At Sino Lanka Power Gen, we take pride in designing and installing Solar PVDG Controllers to ensure small scale smart grids are optimized to ensure smooth synchronization between solar systems with diesel generator and energy storage. We believe that a smart grid that integrates multiple energy sources can effectively balance power generation and consumption. Our expert technical team can provide customized PVDG controller solutions to cater to the specific energy needs of our clients. Contact us to learn more about our services and how we can help you optimize your energy usage with Solar PV and Diesel Generator Synchronization.