Grid Impact of Unbalanced Phase Integration of PV Generation, Electrified Mobility, and Heating in LV Distribution Grids

Low-carbon technologies (LCTs) such as Electric vehicles (EVs), heat pumps (HPs), and PV systems increase phase unbalance due to uneven phase distribution. Phase unbalance can lead to overheating, suboptimal capacity utilization, and power losses. This work analyzes the unbalance impact inflicted by...

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Main Authors: Yme Wesseling, Nikolaos Damianakis, Gautham Ram Chandra Mouli, Pavol Bauer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2025-01-01
Series:IEEE Access
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Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10942319/
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author Yme Wesseling
Nikolaos Damianakis
Gautham Ram Chandra Mouli
Pavol Bauer
author_facet Yme Wesseling
Nikolaos Damianakis
Gautham Ram Chandra Mouli
Pavol Bauer
author_sort Yme Wesseling
collection DOAJ
description Low-carbon technologies (LCTs) such as Electric vehicles (EVs), heat pumps (HPs), and PV systems increase phase unbalance due to uneven phase distribution. Phase unbalance can lead to overheating, suboptimal capacity utilization, and power losses. This work analyzes the unbalance impact inflicted by the grid integration of PVs, HPs, and EVs under different combinations and penetration levels. The main novelty of this study is the use of different types of real-world distribution grids (rural, suburban, and urban) for the LCT unbalance impact comparison, while simultaneously considering the influence of several unbalance factors; LCT phase connections and grid distributions, the seasonal effect, and the power and consumption levels, the latter of which have been evaluated as mitigation strategies. The results showed that the combined integration of PVs, EVs, and HPs can cause high voltage unbalance, especially in grids with high existing loading. The seasonal effect was the most impactful unbalance factor, intensifying unbalance by the integration of PVs-HPs and PVs-EVs combinations during Winter and Summer, respectively. Furthermore, reductions in the power and consumption levels of the LCTs decreased the unbalance total violation duration in a range between 11% and 25% for all distribution grids. Reducing the LCT consumption levels also decreased the unbalance magnitude, which reached up to 15% for the urban grid under 100% HP and PV penetration. Finally, it was found that consumption duration enhances unbalance, such as the peak power levels, because it increases the simultaneity of technologies operating in different phases.
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spelling doaj-art-1aa45fee8c9f4efe85f6ef271faf29a72025-08-20T03:07:47ZengIEEEIEEE Access2169-35362025-01-0113568875690710.1109/ACCESS.2025.355516910942319Grid Impact of Unbalanced Phase Integration of PV Generation, Electrified Mobility, and Heating in LV Distribution GridsYme Wesseling0https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4864-7495Nikolaos Damianakis1https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2735-7362Gautham Ram Chandra Mouli2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1997-4959Pavol Bauer3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1171-9972Movares Nederland B.V., Utrecht, The NetherlandsDepartment of Electrical Sustainable Energy, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The NetherlandsDepartment of Electrical Sustainable Energy, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The NetherlandsDepartment of Electrical Sustainable Energy, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The NetherlandsLow-carbon technologies (LCTs) such as Electric vehicles (EVs), heat pumps (HPs), and PV systems increase phase unbalance due to uneven phase distribution. Phase unbalance can lead to overheating, suboptimal capacity utilization, and power losses. This work analyzes the unbalance impact inflicted by the grid integration of PVs, HPs, and EVs under different combinations and penetration levels. The main novelty of this study is the use of different types of real-world distribution grids (rural, suburban, and urban) for the LCT unbalance impact comparison, while simultaneously considering the influence of several unbalance factors; LCT phase connections and grid distributions, the seasonal effect, and the power and consumption levels, the latter of which have been evaluated as mitigation strategies. The results showed that the combined integration of PVs, EVs, and HPs can cause high voltage unbalance, especially in grids with high existing loading. The seasonal effect was the most impactful unbalance factor, intensifying unbalance by the integration of PVs-HPs and PVs-EVs combinations during Winter and Summer, respectively. Furthermore, reductions in the power and consumption levels of the LCTs decreased the unbalance total violation duration in a range between 11% and 25% for all distribution grids. Reducing the LCT consumption levels also decreased the unbalance magnitude, which reached up to 15% for the urban grid under 100% HP and PV penetration. Finally, it was found that consumption duration enhances unbalance, such as the peak power levels, because it increases the simultaneity of technologies operating in different phases.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10942319/Distribution gridselectric vehiclesgrid impactheat pumpsPVsvoltage unbalance
spellingShingle Yme Wesseling
Nikolaos Damianakis
Gautham Ram Chandra Mouli
Pavol Bauer
Grid Impact of Unbalanced Phase Integration of PV Generation, Electrified Mobility, and Heating in LV Distribution Grids
IEEE Access
Distribution grids
electric vehicles
grid impact
heat pumps
PVs
voltage unbalance
title Grid Impact of Unbalanced Phase Integration of PV Generation, Electrified Mobility, and Heating in LV Distribution Grids
title_full Grid Impact of Unbalanced Phase Integration of PV Generation, Electrified Mobility, and Heating in LV Distribution Grids
title_fullStr Grid Impact of Unbalanced Phase Integration of PV Generation, Electrified Mobility, and Heating in LV Distribution Grids
title_full_unstemmed Grid Impact of Unbalanced Phase Integration of PV Generation, Electrified Mobility, and Heating in LV Distribution Grids
title_short Grid Impact of Unbalanced Phase Integration of PV Generation, Electrified Mobility, and Heating in LV Distribution Grids
title_sort grid impact of unbalanced phase integration of pv generation electrified mobility and heating in lv distribution grids
topic Distribution grids
electric vehicles
grid impact
heat pumps
PVs
voltage unbalance
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10942319/
work_keys_str_mv AT ymewesseling gridimpactofunbalancedphaseintegrationofpvgenerationelectrifiedmobilityandheatinginlvdistributiongrids
AT nikolaosdamianakis gridimpactofunbalancedphaseintegrationofpvgenerationelectrifiedmobilityandheatinginlvdistributiongrids
AT gauthamramchandramouli gridimpactofunbalancedphaseintegrationofpvgenerationelectrifiedmobilityandheatinginlvdistributiongrids
AT pavolbauer gridimpactofunbalancedphaseintegrationofpvgenerationelectrifiedmobilityandheatinginlvdistributiongrids