A new "Voltage Manager" system designed to improve the efficiency of renewable energy clusters has recently begun full operation in Huai'an, Jiangsu.
Source: China News Service
A new "Voltage Manager" system designed to improve the efficiency of renewable energy clusters has recently begun full operation in Huai'an, Jiangsu. This innovation offers a solution to the ongoing challenge of voltage control at large renewable energy sites, ensuring the stable operation of the power grid while enabling the efficient coordination of reactive power resources. It also plays a key role in helping meet China’s carbon reduction goals.
Jiangsu’s renewable energy sector has seen remarkable growth. In November 2024, the province’s renewable power capacity surpassed coal to become the largest source of energy. As wind and solar power stations tend to cluster in resource-rich areas, multiple plants often connect to a single grid point. In some locations, up to eight renewable energy plants are linked to one access point, putting increased pressure on voltage management.
Traditionally, each renewable energy station used automatic voltage control (AVC) substations to regulate voltage independently. While this method worked, it led to inefficiencies and reactive power conflicts between stations. To tackle this, Jiangsu introduced a new solution: the "Voltage Manager", a coordination station placed between the AVC substations and the central dispatch center. The first operational test of the system took place at the Luhe Substation in Jinhu, Huai’an, within a wind power cluster.
In this upgraded system, the Voltage Manager serves as the central hub for controlling the voltage across the entire cluster. It receives instructions from the central dispatch center and translates them into specific actions for each wind and solar plant. This approach effectively eliminates reactive power competition and ensures precise voltage control, achieving zero overshoot and zero reactive power circulation. As a result, it improves the stability and quality of the grid across a broader area.
With the success of this system, Jiangsu plans to roll it out to other wind and solar clusters, further minimizing the impact of renewable energy fluctuations and contributing to the overall resilience of the power grid.
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