Grid-Forming Inverters for Facilitating the Integration of Renewable Energy Sources and Enhancing the Stability of Grids

The transition to renewable energy is critical for mitigating climate change and achieving sustainable energy systems. Grid faults or failures or natural disasters such as storms, hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, or cybersecurity attacks can provide grid islanding situations. However, integrating renewable energy sources (RES), which are often variable and decentralized, presents significant challenges for grid stability in these situations. Grid-forming inverters (GFIs) are emerging as a pivotal technology that addresses these challenges by providing essential grid services traditionally offered by synchronous generators in conventional power systems. This paper explores the role of GFIs in facilitating the integration of renewable energy sources and enhancing the stability and resilience of modern power grids in different operations: grid-connected and islanded modes. The paper presents simulation results conducted in a real medium voltage (MV) network, demonstrating the practical application and effectiveness of GFI during transitions between grid-connected and islanded.