DISTRIBUTED GENERATION RESOURCES

Distributed generation resources (DERs) are small-scale power generation units located near the
point of electricity use. This contrasts with traditional centralized generation, where power is
produced at large power plants and then delivered to consumers over long distances. DERs can be
used to generate electricity from a variety of renewable and non-renewable resources.

“Distributed Generation is the integrated or stand-alone use of small, modular energy (electric
and/or thermal) generation resources, located near the consumption of energy. Distributed systems
include wind turbines, microturbines, fuel cells, engines/generators set, thermal solar and
photovoltaic systems, combustion turbines, biomass – based generators, and storage and control
techniques. Distributed technologies can either be independent of the grid or grid connected.

DG can also be defined as “the electricity generation by facilities sufficiently smaller than
centralized generating power plants, usually10 MW or smaller, so was to allow interconnection at
nearly any point in the electric power system”.

Distributed generations can be classified based on;

• On the basis of point of DG connection: The definition of the location of the distributed
generation plants varies among different authors. Most authors define the location of DG
at the distribution side of the work, some include the customers side, and some even include
the transmission side of the network.
• On the basis of capacity: The maximum rating of the DG which can be connected to
distributed generation depends on the capacity of the distribution system that is interrelated
with the voltage level of the distribution system. Hence, the capacity of DGs can vary
widely.
• On the basis of Purpose of Interconnection: Generation units should by definition at least
supply active power in order to be considered as distributed generation. The supply of
reactive power and/or other ancillary services is possible and may represent an added value,
but is not necessary.
• On the basis of DG Technology: Often the term distributed generation is used in
combination with a certain generation technology category, e.g., non – renewable and
renewable energy technology.

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 • On the basis of Ownership: It is frequently argued that’s DG has to be owned by
independent power producers or by the customers themselves, to qualify as DG. the figure
below depicts the various criteria which can form the basis for defining DG.

Figure 1: distributed generation technologies

DG technologies are usually classified into two broad categories: non – renewable (fuel – based)
and renewable (non - fuel – based) energy sources. Non – renewable energy technologies use fossil
- based fuels such as gasoline, diesel, oil, propane, methane, natural gas, or coal source. Fossil fuel
based DGs are not considered sustainable electricity generation sources because their energy source
will not renew or replenish. Examples of non-renewable technologies include reciprocating
engines, internal combustion gas turbines (ICGT), microturbines, and fuel cells. Distributed
renewable energy technologies are in general sustainable (i.e., their primary energy source will not
run out) and cause minimum or no environmental concerns. The DG technologies that fall under
this category comprise wind turbines, solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, biomass and biogas, ocean
and geothermal (tidal and waves) energy systems, small/mini/micro hydro power, and hydrogen
fuel cells. The contribution potential of renewable energies in all countries is growing rapidly as
the technology matures. The renewable energy sources contribute to the diversity of energy supply
portfolio, mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce the risks of continued use of fossil
fuels and nuclear power. A classification of various DG technologies is presented in figure 2 and
are discussed in following subsections.

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Figure 2: Conventional DG Technologies

➢ Conventional DG Technologies
1. Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines:

Reciprocating engines also known as piston engines were the first fossil-fuel-driven DG
technologies developed more than 100 years ago and use diesel, natural gas, or waste gas as their
fuel source. The reciprocating engines are highly flexible and suitable for several applications,
among which are electric power generation, combined heat and power generation (CHP) and
mechanical prime movers for many equipment and propulsion. The reciprocating technologies can
operate as a stand-alone to meet the power demands of consumer in remote locations or grid-
connected power system, where it can feed the surplus to the grid having met the power
requirements of the local consumers. The power generation scales of the reciprocating engines are
differed from the 1kVA (small scale) to several tens of MVA (large scale). The schematic operation
diagram of a reciprocating engine, which operates in four cycles for power generation is shown in
Figure 3 and the schematic diagram of a combined heat and power (CHP) system is shown in
Figure 4.

Figure 3: Schematic operating principle of reciprocating engine

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Figure 4: Schematic diagram of a combined heat and power (CHP) system

2. Combustion Gas Turbines:

a. Combined Cycle Systems: These systems are designed for maximum efficiency in which
the hot exhaust gases from the gas turbine are used to raise steam to power a steam turbine
with both turbine being connected to electricity generators .

Figure 4: Schematic diagram of Combined Cycle Systems

➢ Renewable Based DG Technologies

1. Solar Photovoltaic Cell Energy Source: Photovoltaic (PV) systems involve the direct
conversion of sun light into electricity with no intervening heat engine. PV devices are solid
state; therefore, they are rugged and simple in design and require very little maintenance.
A key advantage of PV systems is that they can be constructed as either grid connected or
stand-alone to produce outputs from microwatt to megawatts. They have been used as the
power sources for calculators, watches, water pumping, remote buildings, communications,
satellites and space vehicles, as well as megawatt-scale power plants. Because they are light
in weight, modular, and do not require gaseous or liquid fuel supply, PV fit a niche that is
unavailable to other DG technologies. The working principle of solar PV cell is
demonstrated in Figure 5.

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Figure 5: Solar PV Cell Working principle

2. Wind Power Generation: A wind energy conversion system (WECS) is powered by wind
energy and generates mechanical energy that sends energy to the electrical generator for
making electricity. The typical layout of a horizontal axis wind turbine is shown in Figure
6 and the block diagram of a WECS is shown in Figure 7

Figure 6: Schematic of horizontal axis wind turbine

Figure 7: Block diagram of WECS

3. Biomass Generation: Biomass power plants can generate electricity using a steam cycle
where biomass raw materials such as waste are converted into steam in a boiler. The
resulting steam is then used to spin a turbine which is connected to a generator.
Alternatively, biomass materials can be converted to biogas. This biogas can be cleaned
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 and upgraded to natural gas standards when it becomes bio-methane. The biogas can be
used in gas turbines, piston-driven engines or fuel cells to generate electricity. The
advantage is that as a renewable energy source, biomass-based power plants produce low
emission and mitigates global warming. Biomass materials used for power generation
include bagasse, rice husk, straw, cotton stalk, coconut shells, soya husk, de-oiled cakes,
coffee waste, jute wastes, groundnut shells, saw dust etc.

Figure 8: Schematic of a direct-fired biomass power plant

4. Small Hydro Power (SHP): The gravitational force of water falling from a raised level to
ground level can be efficiently converted to electric energy. This form of electricity
generated from hydropower is called as hydroelectricity. Hydropower is a source of
renewable energy, and it small-scale applications can be used for distributed generations.

Figure 9: A conventional small hydro power plant

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