Technical challenges of PV deployment into remote Australian electricity networks: A review

Gradual technical advancement and rapidly decreasing costs have led to widespread deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. In Australia, distributed PV systems make up the vast majority of installed PV capacity. In remote communities, distributed PV systems offer a supplementary solution to existing diesel-based electricity generation. However, remote electricity networks, being different from urban networks primarily due to their limited generation capacity and spinning reserve are likely to be critically affected by the variability characteristics of PV generation. The integration of distributed PV systems into conventional remote electricity networks has noteworthy impacts on their technical and non-technical operations that pose new challenges for PV deployment. Significant technical issues are observed in these networks as PV penetration levels increase, such as reduced power quality, inadequate diesel generator dispatch for spinning reserve, increased complexities in network operation and management, unintended islanding and even system blackouts. Utility adopted operational and control strategies significantly influence PV penetration levels in different remote networks around the world, including Australia. This paper reviews the current electrification scenarios in remote Australian networks and focuses on the impacts and technical challenges of distributed PV deployment and the control strategies adopted by remote area power utilities. Some suggestions and recommendations, such as the development of robust control mechanisms incorporating PV forecasting technology, modern network equipment, real-time measurements and network ancillary services provided by inverter coupled generation systems to enhance networks' operational stability and reliability are also presented. This review is of benefit to scientific researchers, investors and different stakeholders, who wish to have a better understanding of distributed PV systems' deployment scenarios into remote electricity networks. As the inherent characteristics of Australian remote electricity networks are similar to those in African and Asian rural electricity networks; the findings, reviews and recommendations presented are also relevant to those networks.