Reactive power control integrated with renewable energy power invertor

A retrofittable reactive power output command value limiter that is suitable for integration with a variable reactive power output inverter that is able to produce an amount of reactive power that is greater than a present real power output of the variable reactive power output inverter, where the variable reactive power output inverter is installed in an existing installed power generation site, the retrofittable reactive power output command value limiter comprising:

• a reactive power output command value input that, when operating, is configured to receive a reactive power output command input value;
• and
• a limited value reactive power output command calculator, communicatively coupled to the reactive power output command value input, that when operating is configured to iteratively perform:
• determine, based upon a present real power output value of the variable reactive power output inverter, a threshold reactive power output value;
• determine that the reactive power output command input value exceeds the threshold reactive power output value;
• and
• change, based on a determination that the reactive power output command input value exceeds the threshold reactive power output value, the reactive power output command input value to a limited value reactive power output command that is one of equal to or less than the threshold reactive power output value;
• and
• output, after the changing, the limited value reactive power output command to the variable reactive power output inverter.

A method of retrofitting an existing installed power generation site comprising a variable reactive power output inverter that is able to produce an amount of reactive power that is greater than a present real power output of the variable reactive power output inverter, the method comprising:

• retrofitting the existing installed power generation site comprising the variable reactive power output inverter, the retrofitting comprising installing a reactive power output command value limiter as a retrofit to the existing installed power generation site to limit reactive power output of the variable reactive power output inverter based on a present real power output of the variable reactive power output inverter in order to maintain a minimum power factor;
• coupling an existing reactive power output command signal to the reactive power output command value limiter;
• coupling an existing present real power output meter output to the reactive power output command value limiter;
• coupling a limited value reactive power output command signal from the reactive power output command value limiter to the variable reactive power output inverter to communicate the limited value reactive power output command;
• and
• placing the variable reactive power output inverter into operation in conjunction with the reactive power output command value limiter where the reactive power output command value limiter iteratively operates to limit reactive power output of the variable reactive power output inverter based on the present real power output.