Impact of Renewable Energy Penetration on Power System Inertia and Frequency Dynamics with Virtual Inertia Enhancement

Abstract

The growing environmental concerns and economic challenges have accelerated the adoption of small-scale renewable energy (RE) resources connected near distribution networks, commonly referred to as distributed generation (DG). While DG offers several advantages such as sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility, it also introduces certain challenges to modern power systems. Renewable energy sources, though environmentally friendly, are inherently intermittent and susceptible to uncertainties such as weather variability, energy storage limitations, and sudden load fluctuations. The integration of these resources significantly influences the dynamic performance of the power system, with impacts varying based on the level of penetration, placement, and type of DG technology employed. This work evaluates how renewable-energy penetration influences the inertial response of the IEEE 14-bus network through a MATLAB/Simulink-based dynamic simulation model.