Smart Photovoltaics Inertia Control Based on Real-time System Inertia Awareness

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This project team will develop and validate smart virtual inertia controls for photovoltaic (PV) inverters in order to improve PV system performance and lower operating costs. Existing PV inertia controls have set parameters that make it difficult for them to coordinate with dynamic interconnection inertia levels, leading to poor control or wasted PV power reserve. This team will develop an ambient, measurement-based method to estimate system inertia that makes each PV inverter aware of system inertia in real time, enabling the inverter to adjust its own inertia without communication controls. This technology will be integrated with a commercial PV inverter, then tested with a simulation model that mimics interconnection for a PV system.