System for controlling voltage and reactive power for an electrical grid

A system comprising:

• two or more energy generation facilities, each of the two or more energy generation facilities including an energy generation facility control unit for controlling the energy generation sources that are associated with that energy generation facility to provide a desired electrical energy output from that energy generation facility;
• a power system;
• one or more points of interconnection (POI) for each of the two or more energy generation facilities to the power system;
• two or more energy generation facility output monitoring data transfer systems for collecting energy generation facility output data from each of the two or more energy generation facilities at their respective POIs, the energy generation facility output data including data indicating the output voltage of each of the two or more energy generation facilities at their respective POIs and the reactive power provided or absorbed by each of the two or more energy generation facilities;
• at least one point of utilization (POU);
• a POU monitoring data transfer system for collecting POU data from the POU, the POU data including data indicating the voltage at the POU;
• two or more control signal data transfer systems for relaying control signals to each of the respective energy generation facility control units for each of the two or more energy generation facilities, the control signals including output voltage control signals for each of the two or more energy generation facilities;
• and
• a Master Grid Controller (MGC), the MGC being a dedicated MGC for the two or more energy generation facilities, the MGC providing control signals to the respective energy generation facility control units of the two or more energy generation facilities, the MGC including:
• an MGC data collection module, the MGC data collection module being in communication with the two or more energy generation facility output monitoring data transfer systems to receive the energy generation facility output data, the MGC data collection module being in communication with the POU monitoring data transfer system to receive the POU data;
• an MGC data analysis module, the MGC data analysis module being in communication with the MGC data collection module to receive POU data and energy generation facility output data, the MGC data analysis module monitoring and analyzing the POU data to determine if a voltage at the POU is within a desired POU voltage band wherein,
• if the MGC data analysis module determines the voltage at the POU is not within the desired POU voltage band, the MGC data analysis module generates control signals to be sent to each of the respective energy generation facility control units of each of the two or more energy generation facilities, the control signals being output voltage control signals used to adjust voltage control set points of each of the two or more energy generation facilities at their respective POIs in a manner necessary to bring the voltage at the POU into the desired POU voltage band.

A system comprising:

• two or more energy generation facilities, each of the two or more energy generation facilities including an energy generation facility control unit for controlling the energy generation sources that are associated with that energy generation facility to provide a desired electrical energy output from that energy generation facility;
• a power system;
• one or more Points Of Interconnection (POIs) for each of the two or more energy generation facilities to the power system;
• two or more energy generation facility output monitoring data transfer systems for collecting energy generation facility output data from each of the two or more energy generation facilities at their respective POIs, the energy generation facility output data including data indicating the output voltage of each of the two or more energy generation facilities at their respective POIs;
• at least one Point Of Utilization (POU);
• a POU monitoring data transfer system for collecting POU data from the POU, the POU data including data indicating the voltage at the POU;
• two or more control signal data transfer systems for relaying control signals to each of the respective energy generation facility control units for each of the two or more energy generation facilities;
• and
• a Master Grid Controller (MGC), the MGC being separate and distinct from the respective energy generation facility control units of each of the two or more energy generation facilities, the MGC providing control signals to the respective energy generation facility control units of the two or more energy generation facilities, the two or more energy generation facility output monitoring data transfer systems, the POU monitoring data transfer system, and the two or more control signal data transfer systems being in communication with the MGC, the MGC monitoring and analyzing the POU data to determine if reactive power is being exchanged between any of the two or more energy generation facilities wherein if the MGC identifies reactive power is being exchanged between any of the two or more energy generation facilities, the MGC generates control signals to be sent to the respective energy generation facility control units of the two or more energy generation facilities, the control signals being used to reduce the exchanged reactive power between the each of the two or more energy generation facilities.

A method comprising:

• providing two or more energy generation facilities, each of the two or more energy generation facilities including an energy generation facility control unit for controlling the energy generation sources that are associated with that energy generation facility to provide a desired electrical energy output from that energy generation facility;
• providing a power system;
• providing one or more Points Of Interconnection (POIs) for each of the two or more energy generation facilities to the power system;
• providing two or more energy generation facility output monitoring data transfer systems;
• using the two or more energy generation facility output monitoring data transfer systems to collect energy generation facility output data from each of the two or more energy generation facilities at their respective POIs, the energy generation facility output data including data indicating the output voltage of each of the two or more energy generation facilities;
• providing at least one Point Of Utilization (POU);
• providing a POU monitoring data transfer system;
• using the POU monitoring data transfer system to collect POU data from the POU, the POU data including data indicating the voltage at the POU;
• providing two or more control signal data transfer systems;
• using the two or more control signal data transfer systems to relay control signals to each of the respective energy generation facility control units for each of the two or more energy generation facilities;
• providing a Master Grid Controller (MGC), the MGC being separate and distinct from the respective energy generation facility control units of each of the two or more energy generation facilities;
• using the MGC to provide control signals to the respective energy generation facility control units of the two or more energy generation facilities;
• putting the two or more energy generation facility output monitoring data transfer systems, the POU monitoring data transfer system, and the two or more control signal data transfer systems in communication with the MGC;
• using the MGC to monitor and analyze the POU data to determine if a voltage at the POU is within a desired POU voltage band wherein,
• if the MGC determines the voltage at the POU is not within the desired POU voltage band, using the MGC to generate control signals and send the control signals to each of the respective energy generation facility control units of the two or more energy generation facilities, the control signals being used to adjust voltage control set points of each of the two or more energy generation facilities to bring the voltage at the POU into the desired POU voltage band;
• using the MGC to monitor and compare the energy generation facility output data of each energy generation facility to identify where reactive power is being exchanged between any of the two or more energy generation facilities wherein,
• if the MGC identifies reactive power is being exchanged between any of the two or more energy generation facilities, using the MGC to generate control signals and send the control signals to the respective energy generation facility control units of the two or more energy generation facilities, the control signals being used to reduce the exchanged reactive power between the each of the two or more energy generation facilities.