A Live PV Testing Platform for Larger Adoption

Reliable solar photovoltaic (PV) generation technology has high potential to contribute significant electric energy to society. Thanks to modern power electronic technology, solar PV plants provide many opportunities to support the grid operation. However, grid operators are still reluctant to welcome more PV capacities to their grids.

The reason lies in the fact that most solar PV plants are relatively small in size compared with other RE sources, and their individual controllability is hard to be utilised by the system operators. This makes difficulties for the operators to accommodate PV plants in operation and planning.

This project aims to bridge the gap between the opportunities that solar PV can provide and the operators’ needs. An extended PV testing platform will be developed on the Campus of DTU incorporating with the facilities of PowerLab for the purpose of implementing the latest technologies and grid codes. Different control functions of PV plants will then tested. Finally the results will be verified in the real power system of Bornholm.

The project consortium is formed by DTU ELEK, DTU CAS, Østkraft, Kenergy, EnergiMidt, and Solarconnectivity, which includes research institute, distribution system operators, PV project developers and practitioners.