POWER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT IN PV–PMSG GRIDS USING WHALE OPTIMIZATION-TUNED STATCOM

The increasing penetration of renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic (PV) systems and permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSGs) in distribution networks has introduced significant power quality challenges. This paper proposes a novel approach for improving the power quality of a grid-connected hybrid renewable system by employing a Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) whose Proportional-Integral (PI) controller parameters are optimally tuned using the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA). Three distinct loading conditions — moderate load, heavy load surge, and light load — are considered to evaluate the system’s dynamic and steady-state performance. The optimized STATCOM effectively mitigates voltage dips, reduces power oscillations, and improves system transient response. Detailed time-domain simulations demonstrate that the proposed WOA-tuned STATCOM significantly enhances voltage stability, minimizes peak overshoot, improves settling time, and reduces harmonic distortions. Furthermore, the system performance under different loading scenarios confirms the superiority of the WOA-based optimization in stabilizing the hybrid renewable grid interface. The study also outlines directions for future expansion by considering nonlinear and unbalanced load impacts on system dynamics.