Comparative Evaluation of FACTS Devices for Improving the Performance of Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
1 LACoSERE Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, Amar Telidji University of Laghouat, Laghouat 03000, Algeria
2 LAAAS Laboratory, Department of Electronics, University of Batna 2, Algeria, Department of Electronics, Faculty of Science, University of Tipaza, Tipaza 42000, Algeria
3 LGEB Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Biskra, Biskra 07000, Algeria
Abstract
The global energy transition has led to unprecedented growth in photovoltaic (PV) installations, presenting new operational challenges to power system stability during grid disturbances. This research explores the relationship between fault location and the dynamic behavior of an IEEE 30-bus network incorporating PV generation, using Critical Clearing Time (CCT) as the primary performance indicator. Time-domain simulations were carried out using MATLAB/PSAT for three-phase faults under two distinct scenarios: with and without the integration of a 50 MW PV unit. To assess possible stability improvements, three Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) controllers: SVC, STATCOM, and UPFC-were integrated into the network. The findings indicate that fault location plays a decisive role in determining stability margins, regardless of PV presence. However, when PV generation is connected, CCT values decreased noticeably, reflecting greater vulnerability to faults, especially at weak nodes. All three FACTS devices successfully improve CCT values across all examined cases. Among them, the UPFC demonstrates superior and consistent performance, followed by STATCOM, while the SVC provides relatively modest improvements.
Keywords

[1]           Rahman, A., Adhena, H. H., Georgious, R., & Garcia, P. (2022). Implementation of an energy management system for real-time power flow control in AC microgrid. arXiv:2209.06377. DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2209.06377
[2]           Giedraityte, A., Rimkevicius, S., Marciukaitis, M., Radziukynas, V., & Bakas, R. (2025). Hybrid renewable energy systems - A review of optimization approaches and future challenges. Applied Sciences, 15(4), 1744. DOI: 10.3390/app15041744
[3]           Zhu, R., Das, K., Sørensen, P. E., & Hansen, A. D. (2025). A review on energy management system for grid-connected utility-scale renewable hybrid power plants. WIREs Energy and Environment, e70004. DOI: 10.1002/wene.70004
[4]           Ghosh, A. (2025). Power system stability and control. In Modern Power System. Wiley. DOI: 10.1002/9781394289943.ch7
[5]           Gu, Y., & Green, T. C. (2023). Power system stability with a high penetration of inverter-based resources. Proceedings of the IEEE, 111(7), 832–853. DOI: 10.1109/JPROC.2022.3179826
[6]           Villena-Ruiz, R., Honrubia-Escribano, A., Pérez, J. C., & Gomez-Lazaro, E. (2024). Assessment of the synthetic inertial response of an actual solar PV power plant. International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, 157, 109875. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijepes.2024.109875
[7]           Njoka, G. M., Mogaka, L., & Wangai, A. (2024). Impact of variable renewable energy sources on the power system frequency stability and system inertia. Energy Reports, 12, 4983–4997. DOI: 10.1016/j.egyr.2024.10.057
[8]           Kumar, A., & Priya, G. (2012). Power system stability enhancement using FACTS controllers. In 2012 International Conference on Emerging Trends in Electrical Engineering and Energy Management (ICETEEEM) (pp. 84–87). IEEE. DOI: 10.1109/ICETEEEM.2012.6494448
[9]           Papadopoulos, P. N., & Milanović, J. V. (2017). Probabilistic framework for transient stability assessment of power systems with high penetration of renewable generation. IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 32(4), 3078–3088. DOI: 10.1109/TPWRS.2016.2630799
[10]        Bhui, P., & Senroy, N. (2017). Real time prediction and control of transient stability using transient energy function. IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 32(2), 1234–1242. DOI: 10.1109/TPWRS.2016.2564444
[11]        Che, E. E., Abeng, K. R., Iweh, C. D., Tsekouras, G. J., & Fopah-Lele, A. (2025). The impact of integrating variable renewable energy sources into grid-connected power systems: Challenges, mitigation strategies, and prospects. Energies, 18(3), 689. DOI: 10.3390/en18030689
[12]        Sheikh Ali, J., Qiblawey, Y., Alassi, A., Massoud, M. M., Muyeen, S. M., & Abu-Rub, H. (2025). Power system stability with high penetration of renewable energy sources: Challenges, assessment, and mitigation strategies. IEEE Access, 13, 39912–39934. DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3546491
[13]        Fernández-Guillamón, A., Gómez-Lázaro, E., Muljadi, E., & Molina-García, Á. (2019). Power systems with high renewable energy sources: A review of inertia and frequency control strategies over time. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 115, 109369. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2019.109369
[14]        Wu, J., Han, M., & Zhan, M. (2024). Transient synchronization stability of photovoltaics integration by singular perturbation analysis. Frontiers in Energy Research, 12, 1332272. DOI: 10.3389/fenrg.2024.1332272
[15]        Hingorani, N. G., & Gyugyi, L. (2000). Understanding FACTS: Concepts and technology of flexible AC transmission systems. IEEE Power & Energy Society. DOI: 10.1002/9780470546802
[16]        Zhang, Y., Liu, F., & Guo, Q. (2025). Critical clearing time sensitivity of power systems with high power electronic penetration. iEnergy, 4(1), 3–15. DOI: 10.23919/IEN.2025.0001
[17]        Alajrash, B. H., Alshammari, B. M., Alharbi, T. M., Alshammari, A. S., & Alharbi, M. S. (2024). A comprehensive review of FACTS devices in modern power systems: Addressing power quality, optimal placement, and stability with renewable energy penetration. Energy Reports, 11, 5350–5371. DOI: 10.1016/j.egyr.2024.05.011
[18]        García, E., Quiles, E., Zotovic-Stanisic, R., & Gutiérrez, S. C. (2022). Predictive fault diagnosis for ship photovoltaic modules systems applications. Sensors, 22(6), 2175. DOI: 10.3390/s22062175
[19]        Rouabhia, A., Dabou, R., Abderrahmane, A., Ziane, A., Bouraiou, A., Khelifi, S., Sahouane, N., Necaibia, A., & Blal, M. (2025). Low-cost real-time monitoring for enhanced efficiency in PV systems. Journal of Renewable Energies, 28(1), 81–92. DOI: 10.54966/jreen.v28i1.1348
[20]        Rahman, S., Saha, S., Islam, N. N., Arif, M. T., Mosadeghy, M., Haque, M. E., & Oo, A. M. T. (2021). Analysis of power grid voltage stability with high penetration of solar PV systems. IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 57(3), 2245–2257. DOI: 10.1109/TIA.2021.3066326
[21]        Rezaei, J., Hamedani Golshan, M. E., & Alhelou, H. H. (2022). Impacts of integration of very large-scale photovoltaic power plants on rotor angle and frequency stability of power system. IET Renewable Power Generation, 16(11), 2384–2401. DOI: 10.1049/rpg2.12529
[22]        Abed el-Raouf, M. O., Mageed, S. A. A., Salama, M. M., Mosaad, M. I., & AbdelHadi, H. A. (2023). Performance enhancement of grid-connected renewable energy systems using UPFC. Energies, 16(11), 4362. DOI: 10.3390/en16114362
[23]        Guanghua, L., Shah, S. H. H., Zaidi, A. A., Nawaz, F., & Khan, S. Z. (2026). A review of state-of-the-art developments in large-scale photovoltaic solar renewable energy systems. Journal of Engineering, 2026, Article 4799038. DOI: 10.1155/je/4799038
[24]        Reriballah, H., Smail, L., Tadjeddine, A. A., Guentri, H., Abdelgoui, R. F., & Boudjella, F. Z. (2026). Enhancing grid performance through coordinated SVC-TCSC operation with PV support: A case study on IEEE 30-bus system under progressive loading. International Journal of Power Electronics and Drive Systems, 17(2), 1254–1264. DOI: 10.11591/ijpeds.v17.i2.pp1254-1264
[25]        Smail, L., Reriballah, H., Tadjeddine, A. A., Guentri, H., Maghfiroh, H., & Medjdoubi, K. (2026). Stability challenge: Voltage profile enhancement and loss reduction using optimally placed single and dual SVCs. Journal of Mechatronics, Electrical Power, and Vehicular Technology, 17(1), 54–67. DOI: 10.55981/j.mev.2026.1317
[26]        Labed, M. A., Lashab, A., Benidir, M., & Sekhane, H. (2026). Optimal placement of photovoltaic generation and reactive power compensation for power grid stability using metaheuristic optimization. Computers and Electrical Engineering, 138, 111272. DOI: 10.1016/j.compeleceng.2026.111272
[27]        Pather, L., & Sarma, R. (2026). FACTS, synchronous condensers, and grid-forming BESS for high-PV stability. Energies, 19(8), 1896. DOI: 10.3390/en19081896
[28]        Stitou, H., Atillah, A. M., Boudaoud, A., & Aqil, M. (2026). Transient stability analysis of a new proposed hybrid PV-WTG microgrid for Tinghir power distribution. International Journal of Applied Power Engineering, 15(2), 449–463. DOI: 10.11591/ijape.v15.i2.pp449-463
[29]        Bhimaraju, P. S. D., Murthy, K. V. S. R., & Ravindra, K. (2026). Impact of hybrid solar and wind distributed generators on transient stability of captive power systems. Scientific Reports, 16, 23316. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-51606-8
[30]        Wang, Q., & Song, C. (2026). Research on low voltage ride through capability of offshore wind farm grid integration based on dynamic reactive power compensation. Journal of Engineering Research and Reports, 28(5), 219–229. DOI: 10.9734/jerr/2026/v28i51893
[31]        Rahman, S. A., Kassahun, H. E., Salau, A. O., Mule, S. B., Yaried, H. M., Getie, A. Z., Tin, T. T., & Ali, A. (2025). Performance evaluation of static synchronous compensator and static VAR compensator under fault conditions. Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems, 12(11), 3913–3922. DOI: 10.18280/mmep.121117
[32]        Priyadi, A., Qudsi, O. A., Soeprijanto, A., & Yorino, N. (2025). A modified loss of synchronism condition for efficient critical clearing time estimation in transient stability analysis. International Transactions on Electrical Energy Systems, 2025, Article 7526876. DOI: 10.1155/etep/7526876
[33]        Bader, S., Ma, X., & Oelmann, B. (2019). One-diode photovoltaic model parameters at indoor illumination levels - A comparison. Solar Energy, 180, 707–716. DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2019.01.048
[34]        Abbassi, A., Gammoudi, R., Dami, M. A., Hasnaoui, O., & Jemli, M. (2017). An improved single-diode model parameters extraction at different operating conditions with a view to modeling a photovoltaic generator: A comparative study. Solar Energy, 155, 760–773. DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2017.06.057
[35]        Levačić, G., Župan, A., & Čurin, M. (2018). An overview of harmonics in power transmission networks. In 2018 First International Colloquium on Smart Grid Metrology (SmaGriMet) (pp. 1–6). IEEE. DOI: 10.23919/SMAGRIMET.2018.8369828
[36]        Tang, W., Li, B., Hou, S., Shao, X., & Yu, H. (2024). Transient stability analysis for grid-connected renewable power generation systems based on LMI optimization modelling. Electronics, 13(24), 5052. DOI: 10.3390/electronics13245052
[37]        Eremia, M., Liu, C.-C., & Edris, A.-A. (2016). Static synchronous compensator - STATCOM. In Advanced solutions in power systems: HVDC, FACTS, and artificial intelligence (pp. 459–525). IEEE/Wiley. DOI: 10.1002/9781119175391.ch8
[38]        Abdul Hassan, S. K., & Tuaimah, F. M. (2020). Optimal location of unified power flow controller genetic algorithm based. International Journal of Power Electronics and Drive Systems, 11(2), 886–894. DOI: 10.11591/ijpeds.v11.i2.pp886-894
[39]        Yang, J., Xu, Z., & Zhang, Z. (2020). Analysis of unified power flow controller steady-state power flow regulation capability and its key factors. Energies, 13(17), 4419. DOI: 10.3390/en13174419
[40]        Srivastava, S., Dutt, A., Raj, V. H., Lalitha, Y. S., Das, K. K., Mashkour, M. S., & Kumar, C. S. (2024). Integration of UPFC in solar PV systems for enhanced green energy transmission. E3S Web of Conferences, 552, Article 01114. DOI: 10.1051/e3sconf/202455201114
[41]        Kamel, S., Jurado, F., & Peças Lopes, J. A. (2015). Comparison of various UPFC models for power flow control. Electric Power Systems Research, 121, 257–272. DOI: 10.1016/j.epsr.2014.11.001
[42]        Fonseca, G. A., Ferreira, D. D., Costa, F. B., & Almeida, R. R. (2022). Fault classification in transmission lines using random forest and notch filter. Journal of Control, Automation and Electrical Systems, 33(2), 598–609. DOI: 10.1007/s40313-021-00844-4
[43]        Liu, Y., Zhu, L., Xu, X., Li, D., Liang, Z., & Ye, N. (2025). Transient synchronization stability in grid-following converters: Mechanistic insights and technological prospects - A review. Energies, 18(8), 1975. DOI: 10.3390/en18081975
[44]        Ali, Z., Christofides, N. G., Hadjidemetriou, L., Kyriakides, E., Yang, Y., & Blaabjerg, F. (2018). Three-phase phase-locked loop synchronization algorithms for grid-connected renewable energy systems: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 90, 434–452. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2018.03.086
[45]        Hassan, M. A., Worku, M. Y., & Abido, M. A. (2019). Optimal power control of inverter-based distributed generations in grid-connected microgrid. Sustainability, 11(20), 5828. DOI: 10.3390/su11205828
[46]        Gómez, J. D., Vinasco, G. E., & López-Lezama, J. M. (2017). Análisis técnico y económico para la incorporación de FACTS en sistemas de potencia. Revista Ingenierías Universidad de Medellín, 16(31), 231–250. DOI: 10.22395/rium.v16n31a12
[47]        Ernst, D., Ruiz-Vega, D., Pavella, M., & Sobajic, D. J. (2001). A unified approach to transient stability contingency filtering, ranking, and assessment. IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 16(3), 435–443. DOI: 10.1109/59.970032
[48]        Younes, S., Tadjer, S. A., & Chekired, F. (2025). Transient stability enhancement in microgrids: Critical clearing time assessment for sequential symmetrical and asymmetrical faults with PSS-SVC coordination. Solar Energy and Sustainable Development Journal, 14(1), 182–198. DOI: 10.51646/jsesd.v14i1.478
[49]        Wang, X., Xu, Y., Gu, W., Liu, K., Lu, S., Korkali, M., & Mili, L. (2025). Fast critical clearing time calculation for power systems with synchronous and asynchronous generation. arXiv preprint arXiv:2503.12132. DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2503.12132
[50]        Mishan, R., Fu, X., Hingu, C., & Ben-Idris, M. (2025). Impacts of inertia and photovoltaic integration on existing and proposed power system transient stability parameters. Energies, 18(11), 2915. DOI: 10.3390/en18112915
[51]        Aouini, R., Ben Kilani, K., Elleuch, M., & Tran-Quoc, T. (2021). Large synchronverter integration in power electrical system: Impacts on SCR and CCT. In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Electrical Engineering and Control Applications (pp. 233–246). Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-6403-1_16
[52]        Prabhakar, K., Jain, S. K., & Padhy, P. K. (2022). Inertia estimation in modern power system: A comprehensive review. Electric Power Systems Research, 211, 108222. DOI: 10.1016/j.epsr.2022.108222
[53]        Cho, S., & Hur, J. (2026). Dynamic frequency support from data centers in power systems with high renewable penetration. Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 40(7), 4833–4844. DOI: 10.1007/s12206-026-2105-9
[54]        Kouider, K., & Bekri, A. (2023). Enhancing transient stability and dynamic response of wind-penetrated power systems through PSS and STATCOM cooperation. International Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 12(5), 816–831. DOI: 10.14710/ijred.2023.53249
[55]        Mwanzia, U. N., Nyete, A. M., Moses, P. M., & Wekesa, C. (2024). Optimal sizing and placement of STATCOM, TCSC and UPFC using a novel hybrid genetic algorithm-improved particle swarm optimization. Heliyon, 10(23), Article e40682. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40682
[56]        Raoufat, M. E., Tomsovic, K., & Djouadi, S. M. (2017). Power system supplementary damping controllers in the presence of saturation. In 2017 IEEE Power and Energy Conference at Illinois (PECI) (pp. 1–6). IEEE. DOI: 10.1109/PECI.2017.7935756
[57]        Milano, F. (2005). An open source power system analysis toolbox. IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 20(3), 1199–1206. DOI: 10.1109/TPWRS.2005.851911
[58]        Milano, F. (2010). Power system modelling and scripting. Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-13669-6