Real-time Simulations of 15,000+ Distributed PV Arrays at Sub-Grid Level using the Regional PV Simulation System (RPSS)

The Regional PV Simulation System (RPSS), recently jointly developed by The Australian National University and National ICT Australia (NICTA), has been created to assist in the integration of high penetrations of small-scale, distributed solar PV energy systems. This system is capable of simulating many thousands of small-scale PV systems with input from only a small number (~1%) of the total installed fleet. This distributed solar PV simulation system is the first step towards delivering forecasts of their collective power output, and will serve as a very useful tool to electrical utilities and energy markets. Through cooperation with the local distribution network service provider, ActewAGL, the RPSS has been deployed in the Canberra, Australia region delivering real-time simulations of distributed PV power output as grouped by transformer. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, and has some of the highest penetrations of solar PV in the country, and has set a renewable energy target of 90% by 2020, making it a prime candidate for the application of these real-time simulations. Herein, the methodology used in this real-time version of the RPSS are presented, as well as a case study which highlights its usefulness under strong variability in distributed PV system power output