Abstract--Transition towards smart distribution networks with high penetration of photovoltaics (PV) will involve incidental generation curtailment as an alternative to grid reinforcements. Micro-inverters are taking over popularity of string inverters in residential and some commercial areas mainly due to increased energy harvest. This paper demonstrates how micro-inverters with a modified overvoltage protection scheme could provide a reliable curtailment solution and accommodate additional PV capacity. Two wide-area curtailment schemes were proposed for a typical Dutch residential feeder with densely clustered PV. Firstly, a single worst-case scenario was used to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed curtailment schemes: the distribution network operators can optimize between various priorities such as total feeder output, economic equality between connected parties, voltage levels, voltage unbalance and curtailment execution time. Secondly, a yearly comparison was made against conventional overvoltage protection and the results show 62-100% reduction in overvoltage losses.

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