Voltage and Reactive Power Combined Control of Utility Devices and Smart Inverters on a Distribution Grid with Solar PV

Steven B. Poore; Rosemary E. Alden; Evan S. Jones; Thomas Morstyn; Aron Patrick; Dan M. Ionel

doi:10.1109/ECCE58356.2025.11259878

Voltage and Reactive Power Combined Control of Utility Devices and Smart Inverters on a Distribution Grid with Solar PV

Steven B. Poore
, Rosemary E. Alden
, Evan S. Jones
, Thomas Morstyn
, Aron Patrick
, Dan M. Ionel

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

With adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs) expected in future grids, voltage regulation methods need to be reevaluated and improved to ensure their effectiveness under the high volatility of renewable generation. A multi-timescale cluster-based method is proposed to optimize and disperse operation of voltage controlling utility devices including capacitor banks (CBs) and load tap changers (LTCs) while allowing faster response time with customer-owned smart inverters (SIs) in-between switching operations. The proposed method is tested on a digital twin (DT) of a very large utility distribution grid with 2,018 nodes and 8.65MW peak load to evaluate its effectiveness in future grid conditions with high DER penetration. The proposed method reduced the total energy by 1.66%, in the projected range of conservation voltage reduction (CVR), while limiting CB and LTC switching operations to 35 and 7 total adjustments respectively over a 24-hour period.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025
ISBN (Electronic)	9798331541309
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/ECCE58356.2025.11259878
State	Published - 2025
Event	17th Annual IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025 - Philadelphia, United States Duration: Oct 19 2025 → Oct 23 2025

Publication series

Name	2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025

Conference

Conference	17th Annual IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025
Country/Territory	United States
City	Philadelphia
Period	10/19/25 → 10/23/25

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 IEEE.

Funding

This paper is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Grant No. 2239063. The support of PPL Corporation, the Lighthouse Beacon Foundation and L. Stanley Pigman Chair in Power Endowment at University of Kentucky are also gratefully acknowledged. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring organizations.

Funders	Funder number
University of Kentucky
Lighthouse Beacon Foundation
PPL Corporation
National Science Foundation Arctic Social Science Program	2239063

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

Volt/var control (VVC)
distribution grid
electric vehicle (EV)
smart inverter (SI)
solar PV

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Energy Engineering and Power Technology
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1109/ECCE58356.2025.11259878

Cite this

Poore, S. B., Alden, R. E., Jones, E. S., Morstyn, T., Patrick, A., & Ionel, D. M. (2025). Voltage and Reactive Power Combined Control of Utility Devices and Smart Inverters on a Distribution Grid with Solar PV. In 2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025 (2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025). https://doi.org/10.1109/ECCE58356.2025.11259878

@inproceedings{afa820578cf145e5b56e7ff42b75ea49,

title = "Voltage and Reactive Power Combined Control of Utility Devices and Smart Inverters on a Distribution Grid with Solar PV",

abstract = "With adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs) expected in future grids, voltage regulation methods need to be reevaluated and improved to ensure their effectiveness under the high volatility of renewable generation. A multi-timescale cluster-based method is proposed to optimize and disperse operation of voltage controlling utility devices including capacitor banks (CBs) and load tap changers (LTCs) while allowing faster response time with customer-owned smart inverters (SIs) in-between switching operations. The proposed method is tested on a digital twin (DT) of a very large utility distribution grid with 2,018 nodes and 8.65MW peak load to evaluate its effectiveness in future grid conditions with high DER penetration. The proposed method reduced the total energy by 1.66\%, in the projected range of conservation voltage reduction (CVR), while limiting CB and LTC switching operations to 35 and 7 total adjustments respectively over a 24-hour period.",

keywords = "Volt/var control (VVC), distribution grid, electric vehicle (EV), smart inverter (SI), solar PV",

author = "Poore, \{Steven B.\} and Alden, \{Rosemary E.\} and Jones, \{Evan S.\} and Thomas Morstyn and Aron Patrick and Ionel, \{Dan M.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 IEEE.; 17th Annual IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025 ; Conference date: 19-10-2025 Through 23-10-2025",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1109/ECCE58356.2025.11259878",

language = "English",

series = "2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025",

booktitle = "2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025",

}

Poore, SB, Alden, RE, Jones, ES, Morstyn, T, Patrick, A & Ionel, DM 2025, Voltage and Reactive Power Combined Control of Utility Devices and Smart Inverters on a Distribution Grid with Solar PV. in 2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025. 2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025, 17th Annual IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025, Philadelphia, United States, 10/19/25. https://doi.org/10.1109/ECCE58356.2025.11259878

Voltage and Reactive Power Combined Control of Utility Devices and Smart Inverters on a Distribution Grid with Solar PV. / Poore, Steven B.; Alden, Rosemary E.; Jones, Evan S. et al.
2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025. 2025. (2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Voltage and Reactive Power Combined Control of Utility Devices and Smart Inverters on a Distribution Grid with Solar PV

AU - Poore, Steven B.

AU - Alden, Rosemary E.

AU - Jones, Evan S.

AU - Morstyn, Thomas

AU - Patrick, Aron

AU - Ionel, Dan M.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - With adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs) expected in future grids, voltage regulation methods need to be reevaluated and improved to ensure their effectiveness under the high volatility of renewable generation. A multi-timescale cluster-based method is proposed to optimize and disperse operation of voltage controlling utility devices including capacitor banks (CBs) and load tap changers (LTCs) while allowing faster response time with customer-owned smart inverters (SIs) in-between switching operations. The proposed method is tested on a digital twin (DT) of a very large utility distribution grid with 2,018 nodes and 8.65MW peak load to evaluate its effectiveness in future grid conditions with high DER penetration. The proposed method reduced the total energy by 1.66%, in the projected range of conservation voltage reduction (CVR), while limiting CB and LTC switching operations to 35 and 7 total adjustments respectively over a 24-hour period.

AB - With adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs) expected in future grids, voltage regulation methods need to be reevaluated and improved to ensure their effectiveness under the high volatility of renewable generation. A multi-timescale cluster-based method is proposed to optimize and disperse operation of voltage controlling utility devices including capacitor banks (CBs) and load tap changers (LTCs) while allowing faster response time with customer-owned smart inverters (SIs) in-between switching operations. The proposed method is tested on a digital twin (DT) of a very large utility distribution grid with 2,018 nodes and 8.65MW peak load to evaluate its effectiveness in future grid conditions with high DER penetration. The proposed method reduced the total energy by 1.66%, in the projected range of conservation voltage reduction (CVR), while limiting CB and LTC switching operations to 35 and 7 total adjustments respectively over a 24-hour period.

KW - Volt/var control (VVC)

KW - distribution grid

KW - electric vehicle (EV)

KW - smart inverter (SI)

KW - solar PV

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105030343416

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105030343416#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1109/ECCE58356.2025.11259878

DO - 10.1109/ECCE58356.2025.11259878

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:105030343416

T3 - 2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025

BT - 2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025

T2 - 17th Annual IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025

Y2 - 19 October 2025 through 23 October 2025

ER -

Poore SB, Alden RE, Jones ES, Morstyn T, Patrick A, Ionel DM. Voltage and Reactive Power Combined Control of Utility Devices and Smart Inverters on a Distribution Grid with Solar PV. In 2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025. 2025. (2025 IEEE Energy Conversion Conference Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2025). doi: 10.1109/ECCE58356.2025.11259878

Voltage and Reactive Power Combined Control of Utility Devices and Smart Inverters on a Distribution Grid with Solar PV

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this