Solar Lattice

DetectionMethod

AC voltage and reactive power review

ID
method:reactive-power-review
IRI
https://solarlattice.org/kb/method/reactive-power-review
Status
active

This method checks inverter AC voltage and reactive power dispatch at the same times as suspected inverter voltage floor events. First find intervals where the inverter DC voltage sits at or near its minimum operating threshold while output is lower than irradiance supports. Rule out outages, curtailment, clipping, soiling and sensor faults before blaming voltage flooring. Then look at AC voltage and reactive power at those same timestamps. High reactive power demand or AC voltage hysteresis can shift the inverter's effective operating window and push it above the array maximum power point. Use it together with DC voltage, module temperature and Vmp from IV curves, because the loss can otherwise look like clipping or general underperformance. Events are most likely during hot periods. Inverters report different sets of parameters, so check that AC voltage and reactive power are logged. Also allow for the inverter's measurement accuracy, which in one manual is 2 percent of AC voltage and 5 percent of nominal AC power for active and reactive power. Confirmed findings usually lead to checking inverter settings, changing transformer taps or voltage setpoints, reviewing reactive power requirements, and retesting MPPT recovery in hot conditions.

<!-- review notes

Claims

produces

c1 verified · fact Elevated reactive power dispatch

High reactive power demand or AC voltage hysteresis can shift the effective inverter operating window. This points the root cause toward plant voltage control, transformer tap, inverter settings or grid support requirements.

verified by: joshuahamsaverified on: 2026-10-20review note: support check: partial - Passages say to review AC voltage and reactive power at the same timestamps and that high reactive power or AC voltage hysteresis shifts the operating window, but they don't state the specific signal patterns (high VAr, PF away from unity, AC voltage coinciding with pinned DC voltage).

typical_power_loss

c2 verified · fact nominal 1.2 PERCENT

Conditions: Average summer 2025 energy loss from inverter voltage flooring at a 100 MW California PV plant (Leeward Renewable Energy and OTT HydroMet field study)

Voltage or setting adjustments were estimated to recover a large share of this loss.

verified by: joshuahamsaverified on: 2026-10-20

Referenced by

Data