Advent of power electronic switching is introducing more and more non-linear loads in the low voltage grid. Besides harmonic current generation in the frequency range below 2 kHz, these non-linear loads are also responsible for current emission in the range of 2 kHz to 150 kHz, commonly known as supraharmonic emission. Supraharmonic currents mainly flow between nearby appliances and heavily influence the overall emission of neighboring devices. This paper presents an analysis of supraharmonic interaction between a photovoltaic inverter and an electric vehicle. It has been noticed that intermodulation distortion arises as a result of interaction between different switching frequencies used by the devices. Later, additional household equipment were added to photovoltaic and electric vehicle to observe their effect on intermodulation distortion. All the measurements were conducted in a controlled laboratory environment imitating a domestic customer.

In the context of modern information technology (IT) industry, cloud computing is gaining popularity for big data handling. Therefore, IT service providers like Google, Facebook and Amazon are expanding their technical resources by building data centers to improve the data processing and data storage facilities under cloud service pattern. However, data centers consume a large amount of electrical energy. In recent years, a lot of research has been done to reduce the electrical energy consumption of data centers by high performance computing. However, very few researchers have focused on the electrical energy consumption by the electrical components inside the data center. In this paper, a component based electrical energy consumption modelling approach is presented to identify the losses of different components as well as their interactions to the total electrical energy consumption of the data center. The electrical energy consumption models of servers and other components are presented as a function of server utilization.

The distribution system planner should be able to coordinate smart grid solutions in order to find cost effective expansions plans. These plans should be able to deal with new added system uncertainties from renewable production and consumers while guaranteeing power quality and availability of supply. This paper proposes a structure for distribution systems planning oriented to help the planner in deciding how to make use of smart solutions for achieving the described task. Here, the concept of a system planning toolbox is introduced and supported with a review of relevant works implementing smart solutions. These are colligated in a way that the system planner can foresee what to expect with their combined implementation. Future developments in this subject should attempt to theorize a practical algorithm in an optimization and decision making context.

Capacity remuneration mechanisms have been originally oriented to ensure availability and continuity of supply on the power generation pool. Equivalent generation-based capacity mechanisms could be implemented to enhance and prolong the usability of the distribution grid. In particular, such capacity mechanisms would provide an alternative to traditional expansion options leading to investment deferral. In this work, a distribution capacity mechanism to fit within a distribution network planning methodology will be proposed and discussed. The capacity mechanism will be outlined following similar guidelines as for the design of capacity mechanisms used in the energy only market. The result of the design is a volume based capacity auction for a capacity-constrained system, oriented to both the active and the reactive power provision.

This work presents a generic storage model (GSM) inspired by the scheduling of hydraulic reservoirs. The model for steady state short-term (ST) operational studies interlaces with the long-term (LT) energy scheduling through a piecewise-linear Future Cost Function (FCF). Under the assumption that a Stochastic Dual Dynamic Programming (SDDP) approach has been used to solve the energy schedule for the LT, the FCF output from that study will be processed to obtain an equivalent marginal opportunity cost for the storage unit. The linear characteristic of a segment of the future cost function (FCF) will allow a linear modeling of the storage unit production cost. This formulation will help to coordinate the renewable resource along with storage facilities in order to find the optimal operation cost while meeting end-point conditions for the long-term plan of the energy storage. The generic model will be implemented to represent a battery storage and a pumped-hydro storage. A stochastic unit commitment (SUC) with the GSM will be formulated and tested to assess the day-ahead scheduling strategy of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) facing uncertainties from production, consumption, and market prices.

This work presents a linear solution for the short-term hydro-thermal scheduling problem linked to long-term conditions through a piecewise-linear Future Cost Function (FCF). Given end-point conditions to conform long-term water releases, and given actual reservoir conditions, a segment of a pre-built piecewise future cost function will be chosen. The linear characteristic of the FCF segment will allow a linear modeling of the hydro-power plant, in a similar fashion as a thermal unit with an equivalent marginal opportunity cost. A short-term hydro thermal coordination problem will be formulated considering parallel and cascaded hydro-reservoirs. Three study cases involving different reservoir configurations and scenarios will be computed to test the model. The results of this model mimics coherently the future-cost hydro-thermal coordination problem for the different configurations tested. Given similarities with other forms of energy storage, a new theoretical model for generic storage will be proposed and discussed.

The long-term (LT) scheduling of reservoir-type hydropower plants is a multistage stochastic dynamic problem that has been traditionally solved using the stochastic dual dynamic programming (SDDP) approach. This LT schedule of releases should be met through short-term (ST) scheduling decisions obtained from a hydro-thermal scheduling that considers uncertainties. Both time scales can be linked if the ST problem considers as input the future cost function (FCF) obtained from LT studies. Known the piecewise-linear FCF, the hydro-scheduling can be solved as a one-stage problem. Under certain considerations a single segment of the FCF can be used to solve the schedule. From this formulation an equivalent model for the hydropower plant can be derived and used in ST studies. This model behaves accordingly to LT conditions to be met, and provides a marginal cost for dispatching the plant. A generation company (GENCO) owning a mix of hydro, wind, and thermal power will be the subject of study where the model will be implemented. The GENCO faces the problem of scheduling the hydraulic resource under uncertainties from e.g. wind and load while determining the market bids that maximize its profit under uncertainties from market prices. A two-stage stochastic unit commitment (SUC) for the ST scheduling implementing the equivalent hydro model will be solved.

Under the present European directive concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity, distribution companies are not allowed to own distributed generation (DG) but encouraged to include it as a planning option to defer investment in traditional grid reinforcements. Distribution system operators (DSOs) have used the provision of capacity contracted to DG as a viable alternative under current regulatory arrangements. Here, the topics bonding DSOs and DG owners under the present regulation will be explored and a planning structure that considers distribution capacity contracts as a planning option will be proposed. This will serve as a road map for DSOs to implement its preferred planning tools in an optimisation context, considering costs of investment, reliability, operation, and capacity provision while complying with current regulation.

A Distribution System Operator (DSO) might consider a capacity contract as a planning alternative to defer grid investments. A Virtual Power Plant (VPP) might be able to provide such capacity and change its production as requested by the DSO. This article presents an assessment of the impact of this type of distribution capacity contract (DCC) on VPP's remuneration. This assessment is done by comparing the optimal production / bidding strategy which maximize its profit, under presence or absence of these contracts. The impact of intermittent generation and storage while evaluating these scenarios will be investigated as well. A stochastic unit commitment will be used to determine the VPP's strategy under uncertainties from wind power, load, market prices, and the requested power by the DSO. The model showed that the VPP involvement in distribution capacity contracts can improve its remuneration when certain types of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) are used to provide the service.

This paper will give a general overview of the potential problems associated with remote-meter reading via the power grid and describe some of the technologies available. A comparison will be made between the power grid as a communication channel and other, dedicated and shared, channels. Examples will be given of practical cases in which the communication channel does not function in the intended way.

Electronic household appliances are non-linear loads and emit harmonics into the low voltage networks. Usually, these loads are simply modelled by constant current source models, which only represent the harmonic emission of the appliances for a single supply voltage distortion, mostly sinusoidal conditions. Measurements have shown that the harmonic currents emitted by electronic devices can significantly depend on the circuit topology and the existing supply voltage distortion. This paper studies the impact of supply voltage distortion, which can be typically found in public low voltage networks (so-called flat-top voltage waveform), on the harmonic current emission of individual devices with different circuit topologies as well as the impact of supply voltage distortion on the harmonic summation of these devices.

This paper shows measurements of the emission of harmonics by a small windpark. The spectrum consists of the characteristic harmonics associated with six-pulse converters and a broadband spectrum covering frequencies at which emission normally is not present. These frequencies are caused by the switching pattern of the power-electronics converters. Similar spectra have been reported by other authors and for other types of modern converters. Whereas the actual emission is small, the presence of emission at non-characteristic frequencies could result in voltage distortion limits being exceeded.

This paper maps the expected and possible adverse consequences for power quality of introducing several smart distribution-grid technologies and applications. The material presented in this paper is the result of discussions in an international CIGRE-CIRED joint working group. The following technologies and applications are discussed: microgrids; advanced voltage control; feeder reconfiguration; and demand-side management. Recommendations are given based on the mapping.

Voltage magnitude deviation from its nominal value varies over a range of time scales. This paper concentrates on the range between 1 s and 10 min as part of the long-term aim of obtaining a complete picture of voltage magnitude variations at time scales below ten minutes. Time series of voltage with 1-s time resolution are obtained at 57 locations around the world. The main contributions of the paper are: the definition of additional indices in the sub-10-minute time scale from the 1-s rms voltages; statistics on the values of these indices for different locations; identifying the need for further research through a set of recommendations to the research community. It is shown, among others, that for the available data set, the voltage typically varies between 0.5 V and 5 V within a 10-min window; a range exceeding 1 or 2 V is common; a range exceeding 5 V is uncommon.

The need for the indices proposed in this paper is justified as equipment connected to the grid is changing and to help managing and for storing the huge amount of data resulting from power-quality measurements at many sites during several years.

This paper presents levels of harmonic voltage distortion with low-voltage customers during 2017 and 2018. Measurements were obtained over a period between one hour and one day per location. Results are presented for the harmonics in the phase-to-neutral voltage at 163 locations; the highest 10-minute values per location have been used for presenting the results. For harmonics in the neutral-to-ground voltage, 1-second values at 88 locations have been used. The harmonic levels showed to be well below the limits in EN 50160 and IEC 61000-2-2 for almost all locations and for all harmonics with exception of harmonics 9, 15 and 21. The dominating frequencies at most locations are harmonics 5 and 7.

This paper investigates the spread of the high frequency current emission between devices of different size and the grid. The impact of the EMC filter, either LCL or CLC configuration, has been considered from a simplified model. The high frequency current emission, produced by a large device, can potentially cause a relatively large current flowing through a nearby small device. An important conclusion from the study is that current amplification can occur due to harmonic resonances between different types of filters.

A workshop on power system harmonics was organized in Stockholm in January 2014. On the agenda was among others a discussion on what are the main issues on harmonics at the moment and in the near future. The results of this discussion are summarized in this paper and some of the issues are discussed in more detail in this paper and in its companion paper. This paper discusses emission from wind and solar power as well as advantages and disadvantages of active and passive filters.

This paper discusses the voltage rise due to PV installations connected to a low-voltage network. The connection of individual installations is studies for both single-phase and three-phase connection. A stochastic method is presented to estimate the hosting capacity. This method is illustrated for random and coordinated connection of single-phase installations. It is shown, in a number of ways, that the installation of large (e.g. 6 kW) single-phase connected units can easily result in unacceptable overvoltages.

There is a serious interest from the international standard-setting community in knowledge about voltage and current distortion in the frequency range 2 to 150 kHz, referred to as supraharmonics. At the same time, research is ongoing at a number of locations, but the knowledge about supraharmonics remains limited. This paper compares some of the properties of harmonics and supraharmonics. An increase in supraharmonics for individual devices is observed in association with a decrease in harmonic emission (i.e. below 2 kHz). A proposal is made for setting limits in this frequency range. The proposal is based on existing standards and is meant to be for discussion. The authors strongly encourage an open discussion about the proposed limits. There are a number of differences between harmonics and supraharmonics that are not covered by the proposed set of limits. A substantial amount of further research is needed to extend the standard framework for supraharmonics such that this can be covered by standards

This letter proposes a measurement-based definition for the phase-angle of the negative-sequence voltage that fits in the general approach used in the IEC standard for power-quality measurements, IEC 61000-4-30. The definition is based on an expression that is obtained during a derivation of the classical expression for calculating the negative-sequence voltage from the rms values of the three line-to-line voltages. The definition can be applied to the 10/12 cycle, 150/180-cycle and 10-minute values.

After a brief historical introduction to the hosting-capacity approach, the hosting capacity is presented in this paper as a tool for distribution-system planning under uncertainty. This tool is illustrated by evaluating the readiness of two low-voltage networks for increasing amounts of customers with PV panels or with EV chargers. Both undervoltage and overvoltage are considered in the studies presented here. Probability distribution functions are calculated for the worst-case overvoltage and undervoltage as a function of the number of customers with PV or EV chargers. These distributions are used to obtain 90th percentile values that act as a performance index. This index is compared with an overvoltage or undervoltage limit to get the hosting capacity. General aspects of the hosting-capacity calculations (performance indices, limits, and calculation methods) are discussed for a number of other phenomena: overcurrent; fast voltage magnitude variations; voltage unbalance; harmonics and supraharmonics. The need for gathering data and further development of models for existing demand is emphasised in the discussion and conclusions

Presents a collection slides covering the following topics: supraharmonics propagation; measurement modeling; grid supply terminals; device terminals; secondary emission; primary emission; voltage measurement and capacitor

This paper proposes a set of definitions to simplify the discussion about the different contributions to the harmonic currents at the terminals of a device or an installation. Definitions are given, and explained, for 'primary harmonic emission', 'secondary harmonic emission', and 'harmonic interaction'

This paper presents the results from a number of measurements of the harmonic emission from installations that contain a large number of energy-efficient lamps. Two of the measurements concern the replacement of incandescent lamps with CFL and LED; the other measurement concerns an installation with up to 48 fluorescent lamps with high-frequency ballasts. The paper also contains a discussion on why the (total) power factor is not a good measure to quantify the performance of lamps or installations containing large numbers of lamps

This paper gives an overview of the expected unintended (negative) consequences for power quality of several on-going developments in the power system. Four developments directly related to smart-grid technology are covered: microgrids; advanced voltage control; feeder reconfiguration; and demand-side management. Four developments indirectly related are also covered: new sources of electricity production; increased used of active power-electronic converters; shift from overhead lines to cables; and new types of lighting. The paper summarizes the discussions in an international working group and presents the main findings are recommendations.

This paper gives a status report of joint working group C4.24. Next to an overview of the different activities started, more details are given of the work done on voltage dips, new sources of emission, feeder reconfiguration, demand side management and power quality and economics.

This paper discusses two aspects of the impact of windparks on the waveform distortion in the power system: emission and resonances. The paper gives a general overview of the emission and shows measurement results from a small but modern windpark connected to a 10-kV feeder and estimates the need for network strength to limit the resulting voltage distortion. The paper also gives a general overview of harmonic resonances associated with windparks and illustrates this by means of two numerical examples. Important conclusions from this paper are than harmonic resonances are more likely to be a concern that the emission from windparks, and that the interharmonic emission and the emission at non-characteristic harmonics are more prominent than with existing installations.

A method is proposed in this paper to determine the harmonic impedances in low-voltage networks in a stochastic way. The consequences of resonances for harmonic propagation and stability of power converters are summarized. By using Monte Carlo simulation, the method includes the uncertainties in customer impedances, specifically due to electronic loads and local generation. The uncertainty in customer impedance is included by considering probability distribution for the resistive, inductive and capacitive parts of the impedance. The concept of transfer impedance is used for phase-to-neutral connections. A method is developed and applied to two existing low-voltage networks in Sweden. Results show that, for these two networks, the resonant frequencies decrease around 28 % once PV panels are installed. The paper includes a discussion of some of the practical aspects of applying the proposed method.

Topologies for different DC-AC converters used on grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) inverters are analysed and compared within this paper. The main focus is to evaluate the supraharmonic emission in the frequency range 2 to 150 kHz. For this study three topologies are evaluated: Neutral Point Clamped (NPC), the Cascaded H-bridge (CHB) and the Flying Capacitor (FC). To approximate the operation closer to a real scenario, the converters are analysed under the presence of voltage waveform distortion in the power supply. The simulation is performed using PSpice for the converters and Simulink for the grid. The characterization is made by the quantification of harmonics and supraharmonics, and also by the frequency domain analysis of the output current. Finally, a comparison of the chosen technologies is carried out, given a better understanding on the elements which exert influence on this type of emission.

It is known for instance that voltage waveform distortion and network impedance have a significant impact on PV inverter current emissions. Because this, much research is still required to better understand their behavior and impact when multiple common household devices are placed to operate together in the same low-voltage installation. In particular, this paper addresses the harmonic impact of LED lamps on PV inverters performance considering different technologies and number of lamps. The analysis has been carried out with different scenarios considering two types of LED lamps, with and without power factor correction feature, and three different PV inverter technologies. The evaluation of the impacts is simply performed by frequency and time domain analysis, establishing the correlation between the devices current harmonics. The results obtained from the experiments have shown that LED lamps are prone to add a significant impact on the PV inverter current harmonics, and this impact is mainly dependent on the devices used technology.

Harmonic analysis studies of modern power systems commonly employ Norton and Thévenin equivalents at harmonic frequencies for the nonlinear devices. This approach neglects the so-called nonlinear interaction phenomenon. This paper addresses the difference between the results from the commonly-used model and the actual harmonic distortion measured in a low-voltage installation. A number of indices are introduced to quantify the nonlinear interaction. These indices allow a quantification of the extent to which the commonly-used model is also to predict harmonic voltages and currents in a modern low-voltage installation. The proposed model and the subsequent mathematical analysis are illustrated through measurements from different combinations of PV inverters and LED lamps using different technologies. The results show that deviation is dependent on the used technology, network impedance, and source voltage waveform. Other findings are that nonlinear interaction happens mainly in the low harmonic orders and impacts are more perceived on the harmonics phase angle. Possible explanations for these observations are discussed.

Electric vehicle chargers and solar photovoltaic inverters are two types of household loads that can potentially impact the power quality of the grid. This paper presents a view of the consequences that the connection of these two nonlinear loads into a low-voltage installation can create on voltage harmonic distortion. The analysis considers the combined impact on network impedance and current harmonic distortion. First, the network impedance for phase-to-neutral connections is obtained considering the uncertainty in customer impedance. For this, a Monte Carlo simulation and the concept of transfer impedance are used. Second, based on real measurements, the current harmonic distortion of these two nonlinear loads are used to calculate the resulting voltage distortion at any bus of interest in the network. The analysis is applied to an existing low-voltage network in Sweden. Based on the study case, results show that some harmonics may increase by about 83 % as a function of the penetration of electric vehicles and photovoltaic installations.

Harmonic modeling of low-voltage networks with many devices requires simple but accurate models. This paper investigates the advantages and drawbacks of such models to predict the current harmonics created by single-phase full-bridge rectifiers. An overview is given of the methods, limiting the focus to harmonic analysis. The error of each method, compared to an accurate numerical simulation model, is quantified in frequency and time domain considering realistic input scenarios, including background voltage distortion and different system impedances. The results of the comparison are used to discuss the applicability of the models depending on the harmonic studies scale and the required level of detail. It is concluded that all models have their applicability, but also limitations. From the simplest and fastest model, which does not require a numerical solution, to the more accurate one that allows discontinuous conduction mode to be included, the trade-off involves accuracy and computational complexity.

In the presence of multiple power converters in a power system the total current may exhibit zero-crossing distortion in the form of recurrent damped oscillations with high magnitude. These oscillations are synchronized with the power system frequency. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the input current of single-phase ac-dc converters fitted with power factor correction (PFC) controllers. Emphasis is given on the impacts of the source impedance, and on how the number of converters connected to a common coupling point (PCC) impacts the PFC controller’s performance. A system model is developed followed by simulation and measurements in a real installation with electronic ballasts used to drive fluorescent lighting tubes. Results show that the recurrent damped oscillations originating from PFC controllers are close to the harmonic range and with a very low level of cancellation between devices. The magnitude therefore increases proportionally with the number of devices. As the source impedance increases, instability may occur. Possible explanations for these observations are discussed.

This work applies an unsupervised deep feature learning to finding patterns of interharmonics. The main objectives of this work are to provide an additional graphical tool to handle two distinct data inputs: (a) individual interharmonics components in time-series; (b) broadband spectrum by employing spectrograms. Both data inputs are analysed employing an autoencoder based on convolutional neural networks followed by clustering. The application of the method results in the most common patterns in time-series or spectrograms. Two study cases are presented by applying the method to measurements from solar installations in Finland and Sweden. The results show the usefulness of the method to recognize interharmonics in a single frequency and broadband spectrum.

This paper proposes a deep learning (DL) method for the identification of spectral patterns of timevarying waveform distortion in photovoltaic (PV) installations. The PQ big data with information on harmonic and/or interharmonics in PV installations is handled by a deep autoencoder followed by feature clustering. Measurements of voltage and current from four distinct PV installations are used to illustrate the method. This paper shows that the DL method can be used as a starting point for further data analysis. The main contributions of the paper include: (a) providing a novel DL method for finding patterns in spectra; (b) guiding the manual post-processing based on the patterns found by the DL method; and (c) obtaining information about the emission from four PV installations.

This paper shows an application of a deep learning method to a solar installation with a solar tracking system. The method consists of a deep autoencoder followed by clustering. The deep learning method allows defining the most dominant component in harmonic spectra during long-term measurements. Power Quality measurements were accessed over two years in 3ϕ PV installation of 6 kVA with 2-axis tracking in northern Sweden. The deep learning results indicate that the third harmonic of current is the component that changes most over the two years. This paper demonstrates that there is a correlation between the daily and seasonal variations of the third harmonic with the solar elevation angle at the location. The main conclusion for this cause was associated with the operation of the solar tracking systems which are based on single-phase motors. The paper also discusses the possibility of correlation of the third harmonic with cloud coverage, snow on the panels, and reactive power unbalance.

The paper aims to present a waveform distortion analysis focused on interharmonics in measurements from a 70 kV busbar feeding a traction supply substation with four static frequency converters (SFC). The substation supplies a Swedish catenary system from 50 Hz public grid to 15 kV 16 ⅔ Hz. The paper assesses the interharmonics for different scenarios regarding the point of a connection configuration between the traction substation and the upstream grid, as well as a change in the number of SFCs connected in the substation. The IEC 61000-4-7 grouping method and spectrograms were used to illustrate the issue. The significant presence of interharmonics calls attention to the subject in railway application. The total indexes help to evaluate the broad picture of the phenomena. The work contributes to the waveform distortion and interharmonics in railway systems studies.

The paper aims to provide a waveform distortion assessment on pantograph current measurements. The data analyzed is regarding a 15 kV 16.7 Hz catenary system from Switzerland. The paper provides a characterization of the rolling stock emission content for different operation modes during a commercial utilization of the vehicle, approaching traditional harmonics, interharmonic and supraharmonic phenomena. In addition, the work provides an adaptation on the interharmonic processing proposed by the IEC 61000-4-7 regarding the 16.7 Hz fundamental frequency. The results contribute to the waveform distortion emission on pantograph measurements subject and railway systems investigation in general.

Supraharmonic (SH) propagation is determined by the impedance of both the grid and the devices connected to it. Few attempts to characterize this combined dependency have been done. The interest of grid operators is in counteracting the propagation of SHs upstream to maintain power quality. Characterizing the impact of impedance on SH propagation gives information to strategically counteract this propagation to the upstream grid. This paper presents an experimental case study for the assessment of the sensitivity of SH propagation to changes in impedance of the grid at the delivery point. The results are then compared to the changes of SH propagation provoked by the connection of low-voltage (LV) equipment.

Supraharmonic (SH) propagation depends on the impedance of both the grid and the devices connected to it. Few attempts to quantify the impact of the customer's load variability have been done. The interest of grid operators is in counteracting the SH propagation upstream to maintain power quality. Quantifying the impact of impedance on supraharmonic propagation gives information to strategically counteract this propagation to the grid. This article presents a method for analysis of SH propagation that uses a stochastic approach to describe the impact of low-voltage (LV) loads. Scenarios of a strong and a weak grid are presented to study the impact of reinforcement grid measures.