Analyzing power flow dynamics in wastewater treatment facilities enhanced with solar photovoltaic integration

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are major energy consumers, accounting for 3–4 % of total energy consumption in the United States. Aeration tanks are particularly energy-intensive, constituting 45–75 % of the energy footprint. This study introduces a groundbreaking approach by merging Photovoltaic (PV) technology with WWTP infrastructure. It provides a detailed model that simulates and validates the integration of PV systems within WWTPs using real-world data, aiming to enhance system efficiency and reduce operational expenses. The research modeled this integration in WWTPs across four scenarios, focusing on improving efficiency and reducing operational costs. In the first scenario, assessing the baseline power flow without PV systems, a peak summer power demand of approximately 1600 kW was observed, emphasizing the plant's significant seasonal energy consumption variation. The second scenario, examining the power system's response to a sudden generation loss, revealed a spike in voltage to 1.10 p.u. and frequency fluctuations up to 80 Hz during a short circuit, highlighting the system's vulnerability to disturbances. The third scenario, introducing PV systems, showed a balanced voltage level across all busbars, approximately one p.u., indicating improved power distribution and efficiency with PV system integration. The fourth scenario demonstrated that voltage levels remained stable at about 1.02 p.u during a fault event with PV integration. Furthermore, the frequency was maintained at 60 Hz, showcasing the ability of the PV system to enhance grid resilience and operational reliability.