Enhancing Performance Operation of 2 MW Solar Hybrid Distributed Generation on 11kV Nnamdi Azikiwe University Distribution Network

Providing safe operation of electric power distribution network is paramount to quality electricity delivering to its consumers. Nnamdi Azikiwe university through the initiative of the federal government set up a 2 MW solar hybrid distributed generation (DG) system to feed electricity into the single line university 11 kV distribution network. However, the operation of this solar hybrid DG has been marred with incessant trips most times while been in operation. In a bid to eliminate these trips, this paper presents a study case simulations with Electrical Transient Application Program (ETAP) 19.0 software on the 11 kV distribution network in order to enhance performance operation of the solar hybrid DG. The single line 11 kV distribution network was split into three sections networks for simulations on three different load values 1, 2 and 3 of 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 MW respectively. For load value 1 of 1.6 MW, simulations performed indicated that single line network had 16 buses on marginal undervoltage while three sections network had no bus undervoltage. For load value 2 of 1.8 MW, single line network had also 16 buses on marginal undervoltage while three sections network had no bus undervoltage. For load value 3, single line network had 20 buses on marginal undervoltage while three sections network had 2 buses undervoltage. At load value 3, it is right to say that the solar hybrid DG should not be operated at this supply as trips will set in due to the marginal undervoltage experienced also with three sections network. The results of the simulation with ETAP 19.0 software verified that three sections networks should be adopted and implemented since it outperformed that of single line network.