The introduction of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems would provide electricity accessibility to rural areas that are far from or have no access to the grid system. Various countries are planning to reduce their emissions from fossil fuel, due to its negative effects, by substituting with renewable energy resources. The use of solar PV systems is expanding globally because of growing energy demands and depleting fossil fuel reserves. Grid integration of the solar system is expected to increase further in the near future. However, the power output of solar PV systems is inherently intermittent, and depends on the irradiance and the temperature operation of the solar cell, resulting in a wide range of defects. Hence, it is vital to extract peak power from the solar panel in all conditions to provide constant power to the load. This paper presents a tracking control method of the peak output power of a solar PV system connected to a DC-DC boost converter using an improved incremental conductance and integral regulator (IC + IR). The research was carried out because the solar PV output is dependent on environmental parameters, such as solar insolation and temperature. Therefore, it is pertinent to forecast the peak power point in outdoor conditions and to operate at that point, so that solar PV can produce the highest output each time it is used. A peak power point strategy that maximizes the output of a solar PV array is proposed. This method establishes the maximum output operation point under the effects of the solar insolation and the module temperature. An automatic converter restoration scheme with block/de-block signal control is proposed to protect the converters from the higher phase current, total capacitor voltage deviation, grid disturbance, and fault current. The proposed scheme also tracks the peak power point (PPP) of the solar array with stable output voltage under varying operating conditions. It reduces the error signal and ripples at the PPP during instantaneous and incremental conductance to zero. In addition, it controls the solar PV system under constantly changing climatic conditions, and thus improves the system efficiency.

Renewable Distributed Generation (RDG), when connected to a Distribution Network (DN), suffers from power quality issues because of the distorted currents drawn from the loads connected to the network over generation of active power injection at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC). This research paper presents the voltage rise regulation strategy at the PCC to enhance power quality and continuous operation of RDG, such as Photovoltaic Arrays (PVAs) connected to a DN. If the PCC voltage is not regulated, the penetration levels of the renewable energy integration to a DN will be limited or may be ultimately disconnected in the case of a voltage rise issue. The network is maintained in both unity power factor and voltage regulation mode, depending on the condition of the voltage fluctuation occurrences at the PCC. The research investigation shows that variation in the consumer’s loads (reduction) causes an increase in the power generated from the PVA, resulting in an increase in the grid current amplitude, reduction in the voltage of the feeder impedance and an increase in the phase voltage amplitude at the PCC. When the system is undergoing unity power factor mode, PCC voltage amplitude tends to rises with the loads. Its phase voltage amplitude rises above an acceptable range with no-loads which are not in agreement, as specified in the IEEE-1547 and Southern Africa grid code prerequisite. Incremental Conduction with Integral Regulator bases (IC + PI) are employed to access and regulate PVA generation, while the unwanted grid current distortions are attenuated from the network using an in-loop second order integral filtering circuit algorithm. Hence, the voltage rise at the PCC is mitigated through the generation of positive reactive power to the grid from the Distribution Static Compensator (DSTATCOM), thereby regulating the phase voltage. The simulation study is carried out in a MATLAB/Simulink environment for PVA performance.

The occurrence of distortion and over voltage at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC) of Renewable Distributed Generation (RDG) limits its penetration levels to the power system and the RDG integration is expected to play a crucial role in power system transformation. For its penetrations to be sustained without disconnection from the system, there must be a solution to the voltage rise, distortion, unbalanced current and grid reactive power control strategy at PCC. It is an IEEE-1547 requirement that RDG integration to the power system should be regulated at PCC to avoid disconnection from the network due to power quality criteria. RDG integration must meet up with this specification to uphold power quality and avoid damage to the sensitive equipment connected at PCC. In this paper, voltage rise, unbalanced current, reactive power and distortion are being managed at PCC while Distribution Network (DN) accepts more RDG penetration levels without violation of the IEEE and South Africa grid code act. Active Power Filter and Full Bridge Multi-Level Converter (FBMC) are considered to safeguard power quality to the grid, they are modelled in MATLAB/SIMULINK and the results obtained shown that the proposed strategy can successfully regulate voltage rise, distortion, unbalanced current and continuously improve power quality with RDG integration at PCC. The proposed method's key innovation is the strategic generation and absorption of reactive power to curtain an overvoltage, reverse power flow, and distortion at the PCC, allowing more RDG penetration levels to the grid without disconnection while maintaining the standard requirement for power quality at the PCC. The simulation outcomes validate the superiority of the FBMC over the active power filter with respect of reactive power generation/absorption, dynamic response, and damping capability.