Assessment of the optimum location and hosting capacity of distributed solar PV in the southern interconnected grid (SIG) of Cameroon

ABSTRACT

Cameroon’s electricity mix is dominated by hydropower sources despite the huge potentials of other sources like solar. The over-dependence on hydropower has led to frequent load shedding especially in the dry season as a result of low water levels. Interestingly, the government plans to diversify her power mix and provide sustainable energy to Cameroonians. It is in this framework that this study evaluates the integration of solar PV into the Southern Interconnected Grid of Cameroon using dynamic analysis. The ETAP tool was used in developing the model. A power loss assessment was done through successive injection of solar PV into the candidate busbars while monitoring the active power losses in the grid. Then, a transient stability analysis was conducted so as to assess the grid’s response to induced instability after the penetration of large-scale solar PV. The study showed that the use of static performance indices to evaluate the solar PV hosting capacity do not safeguard the grid’s technical robustness. The results indicated an optimum solar PV penetration level of 30% (211.8 MW) at the Ngousso 93 kV busbar. The findings will be useful to system operators and regulators in developing low-carbon pathways in the electricity network in Cameroon.

KEYWORDS:

• Electricity network
• sustainable energy
• transient stability
• penetration level
• ETAP

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support from the World Bank through the African Centers of Excellence (ACE) – Impact Project with the Regional Center for Energy and Environmental Sustainability (RCEES), University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana, the West African Research Association (WARA) and other anonymous contributors for their input. The authors are equally grateful to ENEO staff for cooperatively sharing information in this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).