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Abstract In the past five years substantial amounts of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) generation have been installed across the low voltage distribution networks. These networks often have design lifetimes of 40 years. Most of the existing distribution networks were constructed, and the voltage profiles set, prior to the rapid uptake of PV. When power quality difficulties arise reconstruction or some other form of intervention is required. This review will focus on power electronic options for voltage profile management in networks with high penetrations of PV. A voltage profile improvement can be achieved with a range of series or shunt connected devices. The traditional voltage regulator adds a series compensation voltage and electronic and electro-mechanical variations exist. Shunt devices attempt to influence voltage with reactive or real power flows when storage is allowed. A shunt device is additionally capable of phase balancing which may substantially raise the allowable PV fraction. In addition to the topological choices, the converter choice will impact upon capability. This paper will examine full converter solutions which incorporate meaningful energy storage at a DC bus and reduced energy storage scenarios or storage free solutions such as matrix converter (MC) based devices. Highlights • Rooftop PV penetration. • distribution regulator topologies. • Voltage regulator. • MC based voltage regulator. • DSP-FPGA based control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy source (RES) based electrical power plants are widely considered green and clean due to their contribution to decarbonizing the energy sectors. It is apparent that RESs do not produce carbon dioxide, however their significant negative impacts on the environment are still found and cannot be ignored. In this paper, the environmental impacts of RES based power plants are analyzed through a comprehensive review considering solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, wind, biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, tidal, ocean current, oceanic wave, ocean thermal, and osmotic effects. Solar thermal power is well known as concentrated solar power. A strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat (SWOT) analysis is carried out and discussed for all RES based power plants. Comparative SWOT analyses for solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power plants are presented. The comparative environmental impact analyses for all existing RES based power plants are tabulated for various attributes. These attributes include but are not limited to human health, noise, pollution, greenhouse gas emission, ozone layer depletion, toxification, flooding, impact on inhabitants, eutrophication, dried up rivers, and deforestation. Based on the analysis, it is found that careful selection of RES for electrical power plants is necessary because improper utilization of RES could be very harmful for the environment. • A comprehensive review is presented that identifies the environmental impacts of each RES based power plants. • The detailed SWOT analysis is carried out for various RES based power plants. • The impacts along with its intensity of different water resource related RES based power plants are separately tabulated. • It is found that improper utilization of RES in power plants is harmful for the environment. • A recommended guideline is presented for the selection of appropriate RES based power plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]