CAPABILITIES

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D-C-202 072016

Integration of Distributed Generation in

Power Transmission & Distribution Systems

About Quanta Technology

Quanta Technology, LLC is an expertise-based independent technical consulting firm that helps

electric utilities and other power industry entities by providing smart, practical solutions to their

most complex transmission and distribution challenges. In addition to offering a complete range

of capabilities for evaluating DG systems, Quanta Technology also offers the following services:

• Strategic and asset management planning

• Transmission and distribution infrastructure planning and analysis

• Sustainable energy impact evaluation and portfolio assessment

• Energy storage conceptual design, specifications and integration

• Equipment condition, design and maintenance standards assessment

• Best practices assessment and utilization

• RTO/ISO, regulatory, Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) and Regional Reliability

• System protection and automation

• “Smart Grid / Grid of the Future” development and deployment

• Enterprise systems integration

• Staff training

The company draws from a vast network of experienced power system experts from around the

world, ensuring efficient objective and credible outcomes. As an independent consulting arm of

Quanta Services, we are able to deliver end-to-end solutions that span the entire transmission

and distribution (T&D) spectrum, from business consulting all the way through to engineering,

procurement and construction.

Contents

◊ About Quanta Technology

◊ Executive Summary

◊ Organization, Skills and

Experience

◊ DG Integration Services

◊ Modeling, Analysis and

Simulation of DG

◊ Team Experience

◊ Industry Participation

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Executive Summary

Quanta Technology has extensive industry experience conducting Distributed Generation (DG)

integration and planning studies for Transmission and Distribution (T&D) systems, including identi-

fying and evaluating the severity of impacts and proposing and verifying the effectiveness of miti-

gation measures. Quanta Technology has conducted these studies for a large variety of DG plants

and projects:

• Interconnection, impact and engineering studies (steady state, dynamic and transient analyses,

protection, power quality, insulation coordination, arc flash, etc.) of individual utility-scale DG

plants (conventional and renewable technologies) on T&D systems (transmission and distribu-

tion lines and substations) for many major utilities and DG developers throughout North America

• Analysis of combined utilization of conventional and renewable DG technologies and Energy

Storage systems interconnected to T&D systems, including microgrid applications

• Planning and engineering studies to evaluate the impact of system-wide proliferation of residen-

tial DG plants over a T&D utility service territory (hundreds or thousands of feeders and substa-

tions)

• Worked with major solar PV inverter manufacturers, wind turbine vendors and energy storage

suppliers to develop and verify computational models of emerging DG technologies to be uti-

lized for various transient analyses

• Review and update of utility standards, guidelines and procedures for DG interconnection to

T&D systems

Quanta Technology’s team members have worked on projects for a number of investor owned

utilities in the area of DG. They have also published numerous papers and books, presented at

numerous industry conferences and have been invited to conduct a variety of training courses and

lectures on DG systems for different distribution utilities. Quanta Technology can perform a com-

plete range of required studies for numerous DG applications in T&D systems. We have assem-

bled an outstanding team of experienced consultants that will be able to provide an efficient and

cost-effective solution to the many studies that must be performed. Our approach allows us to

conduct multiple studies simultaneously and deliver them in the mandated regulatory time frames.

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Organization, Skills and Experience

Quanta Technology is organized into business and practice areas with focus on Transmission,

Distribution, Asset Operations, Protection, Asset Management, Renewables, Automation, and

Enterprise Systems. Experience has shown that firms capable of dealing with different issues

across the entire spectrum of utility operations usually are better able to provide the greatest val-

ue in renewable energy development and implementation initiatives. They can lay out various

applications and capabilities for clients to choose from, and their overall vision can ensure the

most-effective and customized solution to be delivered to the clients. Given that, Quanta Technol-

ogy is uniquely positioned to provide great value on this type of projects.

Quanta Technology has all the skills required to perform the studies and analyses necessary for

DG interconnection on T&D systems including steady state, dynamic and transient analysis, and

protection, anti-islanding, and power quality studies. Quanta Technology has experience in per-

forming these types of studies with numerous T&D utilities and developers in North America over

the past six years. The team of consultants identified to perform these interconnection studies has

experience coordinating with various organizations within a utility to accomplish these types of

studies and has diverse backgrounds, including distribution, transmission and protection studies,

modeling, simulation, and analysis.

Services and Experience for DG Integration in T&D Systems

Quanta Technology has extensive industry experience conducting DG integration, impact and

engineering studies in T&D systems, including identifying and evaluating the severity of impacts

and proposing and verifying the effectiveness of mitigation measures. Quanta Technology has

conducted these studies for a large variety of DG plants and electric utility T&D systems in North

America, including interconnection of individual utility-scale DG plants on T&D systems

(transmission and distribution lines and substations), and system-wide proliferation of residential

DG plants over a T&D utility service territory (hundreds of feeders and substations).

Steady State Analyses

These studies include conducting detailed time-series steady-state analyses (power flow and

short-circuit analyses) for a variety of system loading and DG production scenarios with the objec-

tive of determining system performance (voltage profiles, line and equipment loading, system

losses, etc.). Time-series simulations consist of comparing (via simulations) T&D system varia-

bles, e.g., voltages, equipment loading, active and reactive power flows, losses, etc. before and

after interconnection of DG plants. This allows identifying DG impacts that may occur not only

during annual peak and off-peak conditions but also under intermediate loading conditions and

alternative system configurations. Such analyses can be extended as required to cover a selec-

tion of daily profiles, e.g., monthly or seasonal peak and off-peak conditions, or even to cover

annual simulations, i.e., on a 8760 hour basis.

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Dynamic, Transient and Power Quality Analyses

In the case of variable DG such as PV and wind technologies, after critical or extreme system con-

ditions have been identified via steady-state simulations, detailed dynamic models are developed

in specialized software tools such as PSCAD to study the impact of DG output intermittency on

T&D system variables. For instance, this may include evaluating impacts on T&D systems such as

flicker and increased operations of line voltage regulators, Load Tap Changers (LTC) and switched

capacitor banks (controlled by voltage and reactive power). This unique approach allows identify-

ing the severity of voltage fluctuations under such conditions and the respective impact on the life

cycle and maintenance of line voltage regulation and control equipment. Additional specialized

studies may include harmonic, insulation coordination, and arc flash analyses.

Collector and Substation Analysis and Design Review for Wind and Solar Farms

Wind farms and solar photovoltaic (PV) parks have become a prominent solution to meeting tomor-

row’s energy needs. The increased penetration of distributed and renewable energy resources

brings a number of engineering challenges, including interconnection impact and protection con-

siderations. Quanta Technology has worked extensively with utilities and wind farm / PV system

developers in both Canada and across North America to investigate these challenges and perform

detailed transient studies to ensure that project designs and equipment specifications met all

standard requirements, utility practices, and market rules.

Key areas of Quanta Technology’s expertise in the field of wind farm studies are shown in the dia-

gram below, as examples.

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By applying electromagnetic transient modeling and analysis, the system design and behavior in

response to fast transient phenomena (faults, switching inrush/outrush, capacitor switching, light-

ning surge, etc.) are verified and mitigation solutions are proposed and evaluated.

Quanta Technology service offering in this area includes:

• Wind/Solar interconnection impact studies and design review

• Wind farm transient studies and risk assessment, including: capacitor switching, inrush/

outrush, transformer energization, circuit breaker transient recover voltage (TRV), and fault

ride through studies

• Wind farm reactive power compensation and voltage regulation capability analysis

• Wind farm protection and coordination studies

• Power quality impact of wind farms

• Wind generation applications at distribution system levels

• Integration and Application of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) for wind and PV

farms

Protection Analyses

Quanta Technology has extensive experience conducting T&D protection analyses and identifying

solutions to impacts caused by DG interconnection using software tools such as ASPEN, CAPE,

CYME, Synergi, Windmil/LightTable, PSCAD/EMTP, SKM and ETAP. Quanta Technology has

extensive experience with detailed and customized modeling of control and protection systems of

DG plants and T&D equipment, which allows investigating aspects such as Frequency and Volt-

age Ride Through, assessing the impact of islanding conditions on protection systems and DG

operation, evaluating the severity of Temporary Over Voltages (TOV), and studying how sudden

connection / disconnection of DG plants affect T&D system operation and protection systems.

Mitigation Measures, Advanced Studies and Microgrids

Once steady-state and dynamic simulations have been completed and respective impacts on T&D

systems have been determined, Quanta Technology proceeds to identify appropriate mitigation

measures to alleviate any potentially adverse system conditions. Alternatives to be considered

include conventional and advanced solutions using existing and new infrastructure and equip-

ment. Examples include modifying settings, locations and operation modes of voltage regulation

and control equipment (e.g., LTCs, line voltage regulators, and capacitor banks), operating DG

plants at non-unity power factors (absorbing VARs using a power factor schedule), or using a

dynamic volt-VAR compensation scheme. If complex impacts and equipment interactions are

identified Quanta Technology also offers the option of studying advanced mitigation measures

such as the implementation of Energy Storage, SVCs and STATCOMs in T&D systems. Such

mitigation alternatives are recommended if significant impacts, complex equipment interactions

and volt-VAR fluctuations due to the interconnection of DG plants are identified. Finally, Quanta

Technology has experience assisting utilities in planning and implementing advanced combined

applications of DG, Energy Storage, demand response, protection, control and automation, in-

cluding microgrid applications.

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Microgrid Control and Protection Development and Testing

The need for substation controls and automation is getting more and more attention as the grid

becomes more complex and new Smart Grid applications are introduced. Today, large scale solar

farms, wind farms and MW sized Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESSs) are integrated in

many HV/MV substations, as part of independent power producers plants or by utilities to support

the grid operation. Due to their variable generation profile and uncertainty in operating points,

these sources of energy should be closely controlled with more precise and intelligent control

schemes to minimize any adverse impact on the operation of the grid. Various levels of protection

and automations, as well as remote monitoring and controls through system operator commands

are needed to ensure grid integrity and stability during sudden changes in the operating conditions

and/or system contingencies.

Quanta Technology, through our Microgrid Protection and Control unit (MPAC) is offering the next

level of protection and control systems for microgrids, able to control and determine operating set-

points for solar and wind farms, BESSs, diesel generators and loads in a coordinated manner. The

control system is designed according to the IEC 61131-3 standard language and has a modular

structure. The controller functionality is extensively tested and verified, using a Real-Time Digital

Simulator (RTDS) hardware-in-the-loop setup, in which multiple system conditions and various

operating scenarios are simulated and evaluated.

MPAC incorporates control and protections for two separate modes: Grid Connected Mode (GCM)

and Stand Alone Mode (SAM) - as well as managing transitions between the two modes. In GCM,

the “battery” State of the Charge (SOC), the sub-station capacitors and On Load Tap Changer

(OLTC) are controlled to maintain proper voltage/reactive power profiles and reserve capacity. In

SAM, or 'islanded' mode, the controller acts as a supervisory control system as part of substation

controls and protection to apply a power balancing scheme with the aim of increasing contribution

of renewable resources (PV & wind).

Real Time Digital Simulation (RTDS) and Testing

Quanta Technology owns and operates an RTDS testing laboratory for hardware-in-the-loop test-

ing of protective relays and digital controllers. RTDS testing allow studying the impact of a variety

of system conditions on the actual hardware controllers of interest, this unique approach allows

studying and validating how the controllers would react in the field under critical system conditions.

Quanta Technology has conducted RTDS testing studies for utilities and DG developers to

demonstrate the applicability of DG mitigation solutions and examine operating characteristics of

passive/active anti-islanding schemes. The Quanta Technology team has performed several field

and laboratory tests of various commercially available anti-islanding protection schemes and/or

customized vendor-proposed islanding detection methods under different loading and generation

mismatch conditions to evaluate reliability and security of the schemes and to optimize the set-

tings/logic for the customized methods. Quanta Technology’s expertise also includes conducting

detailed analyses of complex interactions between DG plant and T&D voltage regulation and con-

trol equipment and protection systems in a laboratory setting.

Quanta Technology can also conduct testing of PV inverters to investigate their performance un-

der fault and islanding conditions. Recently, Quanta Technology has performed several Power

Hardware in Loop testing of commercial PV inverters from major manufactures (SMA, AE, Power

One, etc.), using off-the-shelf commercial PV inverters, to characterize real world field perfor-

mance and fault contribution. Power Hardware in loop through interface with simulated 12 kV and

25 kV distribution circuit is used to assess fault current at MV level, perform islanding and evaluate

possible interaction under multiple inverter scenarios.

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Preparation and Review of T&D Interconnection Standards and Procedures

Quanta Technology’s experience with DG integration studies includes reviewing utility T&D inter-

connection standards and procedures, planning guidelines and applicable regulations with the

objective of identifying gaps, areas for improvement, and proposing updates and solutions. These

reviews are conducted by using a combination of Quanta Technology’s broad expertise in this

area and a comparison of existing guidelines with industry best practices, e.g., via benchmarking.

Finally, Quanta Technology can provide training in all the studies described in this section with

different levels of detailed customized according to the audience, i.e., comprehensive technical

seminars for junior, mid-level and senior T&D engineers, and planning, engineering and protection

managers.

Expertise in Modeling, Analysis and Simulation of DG and T&D systems

Quanta Technology has specialized knowledge and practical expertise on the detailed modeling,

simulation and analysis required for DG interconnection studies. Quanta Technology uses special-

ized engineering analysis software tools such PSS/E, PSLF, CYME, Synergi, Windmil, ETAP,

Aspen, CAPE, PSCAD/EMTDC, EMTP-RV, ETAP, SKM and OpenDSS to build models and per-

form detailed studies for specific DG operation cases in response to steady state, dynamic, transi-

ents and switching phenomena such as faults, line switching, automatic reclosing and islanding

scenarios. Working with major solar PV inverter manufacturers, wind turbine vendors and energy

storage suppliers, Quanta Technology has developed and verified models of emerging DG tech-

nologies to be used for various transient analysis and investigation of fast acting phenomena in

the system. Quanta Technology has also developed dynamic models of shunt capacitor control-

lers, line voltage regulators and LTCs based on the published time-varying characteristics of these

voltage control devices from well-known manufacturers. Quanta Technology has used these mod-

els to investigate the effect of DG on T&D voltage regulation and control equipment. Moreover,

Quanta Technology has developed intellectual property that allows evaluating T&D system perfor-

mance and protection coordination under a wide variety of combinations of loading and DG output

conditions.

Quanta Technology has used the aforementioned specialized engineering analysis software tools

to perform numerous DG interconnection, impact, engineering, and protection studies for most of

the largest and leading US utilities and transmission organizations in this area. It is worth noting

that these studies have comprised a wide variety of aspects including steady state, dynamic, tran-

sient, protection, power quality, anti-islanding, insulation coordination, and arc flash analyses.

Quanta Technology’s intellectual property and expert knowledge of this area allows it to conduct

detailed and comprehensive studies and has positioned it as a leader in this field. The intellectual

property developed by Quanta Technology allows conducting sequential (time-series) power flows

to evaluate T&D system performance under a wide variety of combinations of hourly, daily,

weekly, monthly, seasonal or annual feeder loading and DG output conditions.

Quanta Technology, LLC 4020 Westchase Blvd.; Suite 300

Raleigh, NC 27607 +1 (919) 334-3000

www.quanta-technology.com

Team Experience

Quanta Technology’s team comprises a multidisciplinary group of professionals led by experi-

enced consultants who are former utility T&D planners and protection engineers, with an average

of 20 years of industry experience, complemented by consultants with advanced degrees and

experience in T&D system modeling, simulation, research, development and equipment manufac-

turing. It is worth noting that Quanta Technology has conducted numerous consulting projects in

all the areas discussed in this section for several important T&D utilities, DG developers and in-

dustry organizations in North America, including Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), San Diego Gas

and Electric (SDG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), PEPCO Holdings Inc (PHI), NSTAR,

Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), Dominion Virginia Power, Delaware Electric Cooperative

(DEC), CPS Energy, and the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA). Moreover, Quanta

Technology’s team members have conducted a variety of training courses and lectures in these

areas for different T&D utilities, at important industry conferences such as DistribuTECH, and at

postgraduate university level. Section 3 presents a comprehensive list of reference projects

Industry Participation and Publications

Quanta Technology’s extensive expertise in these areas is well documented in numerous publica-

tions in the specialized literature, and active participation and leadership roles in industry organi-

zations such as the IEEE and CIGRE, including IEEE Working Group on Distributed Resources

Integration, IEEE 1547.7 and 1547.8 Working Groups, CIGRE C6, NIST/DOE SGIP, etc. Further-

more, some of Quanta Technology’s team members are frequent speakers and instructors in in-

dustry conferences and training courses as well as authors of recent publications on this subject.

A complete list of publications is included in section 4. This comprehensive body of work makes

Quanta Technology uniquely positioned to provide specialized training and knowledge transfer to

T&D utility staff in all these areas. This will allow utilities learn the required techniques for con-

ducting these studies in an independent manner in the mid and long term.

D-C-202 072016