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PV Penetrations
Robert Mack, MD Sakib, Samir Succar
ICF
Fairfax, VA, USA – 22031
Bob.Mack@icf.com, Md.Sakib@icf.com, Samir.Succar@icf.com
Abstract—Increasing amounts of photovoltaic penetration substation power transformer. This phenomenon is knows as
(PV) on the electric distribution system have given rise to a substation transformer backfeed.
number of challenges for electric utility companies. One of the
more frequent issues utilities will have to address is the potential The distribution system’s configuration will greatly affect
for a large amount of substation transformer backfeed stemming how much of a concern substation backfeed is for each location.
from reverse power flow on distribution circuits. Excess PV Distribution systems in a network configuration typically have
output on the distribution system during periods of minimum the necessary protection schemes already in place for allowing
daytime loading causes a number of issues for utility planning and backfeed because they are designed with two way power flow in
operation, such as temporary overvoltage conditions, the need for mind [2]. Radially fed distribution systems that are tapped from
protection schemes modifications, and equipment failure from an a single source on the transmission network are more susceptible
increase in voltage regulation operations. The aim of this paper is to the substation equipment issues related to excess distributed
to summarize the considerations related to substation transformer generation because they are typically designed for power flow
backfeed, how it affects common distribution system from the transmission system only. The existence of reverse
configurations, and to also touch on opportunities for mitigating power flow on radially fed substations has exposed a number
the impact of these issues. design challenges to substation equipment. All these design
Keywords—Backfeed, substation transformer, minimum changes will also affect future planning and operation of the
daytime loading, photovoltaic. electric grid. This need to retrofit substations that have been
designed for unidirectional power flow to be upgraded to allow
I. INTRODUCTION for two-way power flow have also raised a number of economic
The increasing penetration levels of distributed generation issues related to the cost of these upgrades [3].
(DG) with variable output such as solar PV, and coincidence of Backfeeding through substation transformers can also result
these systems’ max output with minimum daytime loading, have in significant system losses because of the winding ratio bias of
already produced observed cases of substation transformer the transformer [4]. The later sections will try to describe the
backfeed on utility systems [1]. Substation transformer backfeed different system issues due to substation transformer backfeed
has a number of planning and operational implications for and will also present a few possible measures to eliminate
electric utilities such as the increased risk of sustained over- substation transformer backfeeding.
voltage conditions during a line to ground fault that could be
potentially damaging to substation equipment i.e. exceeding III. WHEN SUBSTATION TRANSFORMER BACKFEED IS LIKELY
substation equipment’s thermal rating. Maintaining substation TO OCCUR
voltage regulation equipment has also become an increasing
PV systems will only contribute to backfeed if the total
concern, as a result of the increased frequency of load tap
changer (LTC) operations due to PV variability with attendant installed capacity of PV on a feeder exceeds its minimum
impacts on equipment life and utility costs. daytime load. Otherwise power will continue to flow from the
high voltage transmission/sub-transmission system to the
II. SUBSTATION TRANSFORMER BACKFEED distribution system. Utilities typically review the minimum load
Substation transformer backfeed is most likely to occur of a substation transformer during normal system conditions and
during periods of minimum daytime loading because of the also during an N-1 contingency scenario (i.e. adjacent feeder on
coincidence between the peak output timing of PV modules and the same bus locked out) to determine when additional
daytime light load conditions. Under these conditions, localized protection may be needed. If the aggregate generation is equal
load is insufficient to consume all of the output from the local to or greater than this minimum value identified, additional
PV capacity. It is also important to note that although PV transformer protection may be required.
generation is largely the cause of substation transformer
backfeed, other forms of DG with variable output can contribute For stations where loading information is not readily
to the range of issues described here. As a result of this available, utilities would use an extrapolated percentage of the
condition, power flows in the reverse direction towards the transformer’s peak load to derive the minimum daytime loading
substation, as opposed to from the substation to the distribution data. Since maximum output for solar PV systems occurs during
feeders. Excess power then travels backward into the daylight hours, the daytime minimum loading is the most
transmission system from the distribution system via the appropriate metric for assessing the potential for backfeed