Power Control Strategies in Photovoltaic Systems

Power control in photovoltaic (PV) systems encompasses a spectrum of methods designed to regulate real power output, maintain grid stability and deliver ancillary services. Traditional approaches rely on maximum power point tracking to harvest peak solar energy, but as PV penetration rises, the need for flexible dispatch and grid support has led to advanced schemes. Deloading allows PV arrays to operate below their peak power, reserving capacity for frequency response or fast active power setpoint changes. Droop control and frequency droop algorithms enable PV inverters to mimic synchronous generator behaviour, adjusting power output in response to frequency deviations. Virtual inertia and synthetic inertia controls have been integrated into two‐stage and grid‐forming inverters, using DC‐link energy or reserved power margins to emulate kinetic energy response. Combined power reserve determination models, such as parabolic approximations of frequency response, facilitate accurate reserving of active margins and help PV plants to participate in primary and secondary frequency regulation. These strategies are increasingly coordinated within virtual power plants and hybrid renewable configurations, ensuring robust operation under partial shading, network contingencies and low‐inertia conditions. Practical deployments demonstrate high accuracy and rapid response, underscoring the global importance of PV power control for sustainable power systems.

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Power Control Strategies in Photovoltaic Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in power control strategies in photovoltaic systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Active Power Control: Regulation of real power output from a PV plant to match grid setpoints or respond to ancillary service signals.

Frequency Regulation: Adjustment of power output in response to grid frequency deviations to maintain system balance and stability.

Deloading: Intentional operation below maximum power point to reserve capacity for ancillary services such as frequency support.

Virtual Inertia: Control technique that emulates the inertial response of synchronous machines using inverter‐based resources and stored energy.

Rate of Change of Frequency (RoCoF): The speed at which the power system frequency varies following a disturbance, critical for frequency stability assessment.

Droop Control: A proportional control strategy that adjusts inverter output power inversely with frequency or voltage deviations, mimicking generator governors.

References

1. Experimental assessment of active power control of distributed generation units. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments (2023).
2. Frequency control challenges and potential countermeasures in future low-inertia power systems: A review. Energy Reports (2022).
3. Photovoltaic System Power Reserve Determination Using Parabolic Approximation of Frequency Response. IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid (2021).
4. PV System Control to Provide Active Power Reserves Under Partial Shading Conditions. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics (2018).
5. Virtual Inertia-Based Control Strategy of Two-Stage Photovoltaic Inverters for Frequency Support in Islanded Micro-Grid. Electronics (2018).