How does photovoltaic prefabricated substation achieve efficient grid connection of photovoltaic power generation system?
Publish Time: 2025-07-17
In the context of increasing scale and intensiveness of photovoltaic energy systems, photovoltaic prefabricated substation (also known as European box transformer or European transformer) is playing an increasingly critical role as the core power conversion and transmission equipment in photovoltaic power generation systems. It not only realizes the voltage conversion from low voltage to medium voltage, but also highly integrates multiple functions such as power generation, distribution, protection, and monitoring, greatly improving the overall operation efficiency and intelligence level of photovoltaic power stations.
The core task of photovoltaic prefabricated substation is to increase the low-voltage electric energy (such as 0.315kV, 0.36kV, 0.52kV, 0.63kV or 0.8kV) generated by solar cell modules to a standard voltage level of 10kV through a step-up transformer, so that it can be transmitted to the power grid or user end through cables. This standardized voltage matching process is the basis for grid-connected power generation, stable power supply and remote dispatching. The oil-immersed transformer design adopted by it, combined with the structure of the radiator exposed outdoors, makes the heat dissipation performance better and the operation more stable and reliable, especially suitable for the environmental requirements of long-term continuous outdoor work.
From a structural point of view, the photovoltaic prefabricated substation is not a simple transformer device, but a complete power system module integrating high-voltage switchgear, low-voltage switchgear, step-up transformer, relay protection system, metering device, monitoring unit, etc. This integrated design not only saves on-site installation space, but also greatly shortens the construction period, reduces the construction difficulty and operation and maintenance costs. At the same time, all components are encapsulated in a box with a high protection level, with good dustproof, waterproof and corrosion-resistant capabilities, and adapt to the operation requirements under various complex climatic conditions.
More importantly, with the development of smart grids and digital energy management, modern photovoltaic prefabricated substations have gradually evolved towards "smartness". Many new devices have built-in data acquisition modules and communication interfaces, which can be connected to SCADA systems or energy management systems (EMS) to achieve real-time monitoring, remote control and fault warning of the power station operation status. This not only improves the automation level of the power station, but also provides great convenience for later operation and maintenance, and truly realizes the modern management mode of "unmanned operation and remote control".
In addition, the design of photovoltaic prefabricated substation also fully considers safety and flexibility. For example, its high-voltage side is usually equipped with multiple protection devices such as circuit breakers, disconnectors, and lightning arresters to ensure that the power supply can be quickly cut off under abnormal conditions to prevent the expansion of accidents; while the low-voltage side can be flexibly configured according to the capacity of different photovoltaic arrays to meet the needs of various installed capacity. This modular and standardized product concept makes it an ideal supporting equipment for various application scenarios such as distributed photovoltaics, agricultural photovoltaics, fishery photovoltaics, and mountain photovoltaics.
In-depth, photovoltaic prefabricated substation is not only a "bridge" connecting photovoltaic power generation and the power grid, but also a key node to promote the efficient use of clean energy. Its emergence and development marks the trend of photovoltaic systems transforming from single power generation to integrated energy services. In the future, with the continuous improvement of the penetration rate of new energy, this type of substation will play a more important role in building a new green, low-carbon, safe and efficient power system.
