How to anticipate grid pollution?

Grid pollution is a concept that is becoming increasingly common, but which does not always receive sufficient attention. There is certainly more awareness, but this topic is still not very high on the agenda of many companies. That is understandable, because grid pollution is a difficult concept to define, says consultant René Bos of TT&MS. It is not immediately visible when pollution occurs, but over time you will notice a decrease in quality.

Grid pollution can cause instability of the grid. By discussing the cause of this pollution, the cluster hopes that more attention will be paid to grid pollution. The (possible) consequences of grid pollution will also be discussed. The next step is to jointly search for solutions to this problem. There are various ways to anticipate grid pollution, but which one is best suited to which specific company?

The demand for sustainable energy sources has brought about the necessary changes. In recent years, the interest in solar panels has increased enormously. Many households – just like companies – have installed solar panels on their roof and generate part of their own energy. This development results in a major change, because users and consumers simultaneously take on the role of supplier.

Overview is gone
Because individuals and companies supply energy back thanks to their solar panels and solar and wind energy parks, it is becoming more difficult for the grid operator to keep a grip on the amount of energy that must be supplied. Solar and wind energy are unpredictable and erratic energy sources. Because more and more electric cars are taking to the road, the demand for charging stations has increased considerably. These systems require a lot of energy and can cause a dip in the mains voltage. Fluctuation is not an unusual concept when it comes to these energy sources. Keeping an overview is becoming increasingly difficult. Capacity shortages or surpluses can arise in the infrastructure.

In addition to the fluctuations that occur, the grid pollution (power quality) is also caused by harmonic distortion due to non-linear loads. The role of power electronics has been increased by this sustainability drive in which solar and wind energy play a major role. After all, a conversion must take place from the solar panel, the wind turbine and energy storage devices such as batteries and accumulators to the electricity grid. The harmonic distortion in particular can cause various problems. Transformers become less efficient, cabling can overheat due to the harmonic distortions. In a production environment, this can cause downtime, because the safety systems anticipate the harmonic distortion and stop machines. The grid code includes guidelines and conditions regarding fluctuations and for permissible harmonic currents. If this is exceeded, for example, the solar inverters switch themselves off to prevent overvoltage. In the worst case, this can lead to system failure.