Systems and methods for volt-ampere reactive control and optimization

A control system for an electric power transmission and distribution grid configured to supply electric power to a plurality of user locations, the system comprising:

• a supply point for generating electrical power;
• a plurality of nodes;
• a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor is located at a respective one of a plurality of distribution locations on the distribution grid, and wherein each sensor is configured to sense a component of a supplied electric power at the respective distribution location and to generate measurement data based on the sensed component of the power;
• at least one supply point sensor, wherein the at least one supply point sensor is located at or between the supply point and the plurality of nodes and configured to sense a component of a supplied electric power from the supply point;
• a controller configured to receive the measurement data from the plurality of sensors, to determine a system power factor at the supply point and a node power factor at each of the plurality of nodes, and to generate an energy delivery parameter based on the system power factor and/or a system volt-amperes reactive (VAR);
• and
• at least one VAR adjusting device per each of the plurality of nodes configured to add or subtract VARs to the electric power transmission and distribution grid in response to the energy delivery parameter,
• wherein the controller is further configured to determine (in a determine target step):
• a deficit to target mode when the determined system power factor is lagging and is less than a predetermined lagging power factor set point;
• a surplus to target mode when the determined system power factor is leading and is less than a predetermined leading power factor set point;
• and
• a target close or open VARs if the determined system power factor is lagging or leading, respectively, when the determined system power factor is greater than the predetermined lagging power factor set point or greater than the predetermined leading power factor set point;
• wherein the controller is further configured to order the nodes (in an ordering step):
• from most lagging to least lagging and then least leading to most leading when the determined system power factor is lagging and is less than the predetermined lagging power factor set point;
• from most leading to least leading and then least lagging to most lagging when the determined system power factor is leading and is less than the predetermined leading power factor set point;
• from most lagging to least lagging if the nodes are lagging and then from most leading to least leading if the nodes are leading when the determined system power factor is lagging and is greater than the predetermined lagging power factor set point;
• and from most leading to least leading if the nodes are leading and then from most lagging to least lagging if the nodes are lagging when the determined system power factor is leading and is greater than the predetermined leading power factor set point;
• wherein the controller is further configured to adjust one VAR adjusting device per each of the plurality of the nodes in the order from the ordering step until:
• the deficit to target mode is reached when the determined system power factor is lagging and is less than the predetermined lagging power factor set point;
• the surplus to target mode is reached when the determined system power factor is leading and is less than a predetermined leading power factor set point;
• the target close or open VARs is reached if the determined system power factor is lagging or leading, respectively, when the determined system power factor is greater than the predetermined lagging power factor set point or greater than the predetermined leading power factor set point.