STATCOM’s Role in Addressing Power Quality Issues
September 14, 2022 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm CDT
A STATCOM is a Power Electronics Unit (PEU) that can help address the numerous power quality issues. To list a few:
- Overvoltage violations (Example: DER Integration or Regional Undergrounding)
- Undervoltage Violations (Examples: Motor Starts)
- Flicker (Example: Industrial Process)
As some of these power quality issues are dynamic in nature and frequently causing large power fluctuations in a single day, this variability outpaces conventional Volt/VAR Control Apparatus such as voltage regulators and capacitors resulting in substantial voltage-related constraints.
STATCOMs can help resolve these issues since it can generate reactive currents at different levels in a matter of cycles. These reactive currents generated by the Power Electronic Units be either capacitive or inductive. This allows STATCOMs to be able to manipulate voltage and help address the problems listed above.
STATCOMs have been traditionally used extensively in transmissions systems, but as more and more DER is being connected at the distribution level, a distribution class STATCOM was developed to address those needs. With a proper study of the circuit, one can determine the ideal location to install STATCOM and program it with the optimal Volt/Var profile or required VAR compensation needed to resolve the power quality issues accordingly.
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