Identification and Mitigation of Weak Points in an Electrical Network for Optimal Solar PV Power Integration

Abstract

In Burkina Faso, significant initiatives are underway to link multiple Solar Photovoltaic Power plants to the national grid and establish connections with neighboring West African Nations. This endeavor requires careful consideration due to the intermittent nature of Photovoltaic (PV) power generation and the rising electricity demand in Burkina Faso, both of which impact the grid's flexibility. The primary objective of this study is to model the national electrical grid to pinpoint optimal connection sites for photovoltaic solar power plants using PSAT /SIMULINK in MATLAB environment. Initially, this research used the Continuation Power Flow (CPF) technique alongside Burkina Faso's grid code criteria to identify the weakest buses, ensuring that nominal voltage deviations did not exceed ±5%, highlighting Zagtouli, Komsilga, Ouahigouya, Patte d'Oie, Ouaga 1, Ouaga 2, Kossodo, Yaramoko, Wona Hounde, and Ouaga 2000 as the most vulnerable in terms of voltage. The introduction of a 40 MWp solar PV generator at each of these low-voltage points has resulted in an overall network voltage improvement. However, voltage irregularities persist at certain buses. To optimize the injection of PV power flow, a network restructuring is necessary.