Power output fluctuations in large PV plants

Abstract

The power generated by large photovoltaic (PV) plants is of an intermittent nature, due to cloud passage, which can create considerable fluctuations in output. Therefore, if the penetration of PV power in the overall electricity system is high enough, these fluctuations could have a serious effect on the quality and safety of the power supply. This article aims to characterise these fluctuations and to look at the smoothing effect of the PV plant size and that of the geographical dispersion of the PV plants.