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Model: WECC Solar | 175 MW

WECC Solar

Last updated: 2 July 2025

Version: v5

Software required:

PSS®E
PSCAD™
PowerFactory

Background​

The WECC Solar model is an open-source model of a 175 MW / 200 MVA solar farm with a point of connection voltage of 345 kV - constructed from WECC generic models. By default, this model is configured for 50 Hz networks.

danger

This model is a simplified representation of a generic solar farm. It is intended for gridmo training purposes only. It is not intended to be a detailed representation of a real-world solar farm and is not suitable for grid connection studies of a real-world solar farm.

Models used:

  • PSS®E: Generic REGCA1, REECA1 and REPCA1 models (built-in definitions into PSS®E) with dedicated MINS-type frequency and voltage protection models.
  • PSCAD™: Generic REGCA1, REECA1 and REPCA1 models in non-blackboxed models with custom frequency and protection models.
  • PowerFactory: REEC_A and REGC_A models using the built-in WECC Large-scale PV Plant frame and the Protection V_f_ROCOF relay model.

Description​

  • Connection point voltage [kV]: 345
  • Frequency [Hz]: 50
  • Project rated active power [MW]: 175
  • Project rated apparent power [MVA]: 200
  • Reactive power control modes: Voltage droop control and fixed reactive power control
  • Active power control modes: P(f) droop control
  • Protection: Over/under frequency and voltage protection
note

The wecc-solar model has the following known issues/limitations:

  • Power factor control: This control mode is not available.
  • Source energy control: This control mode is not available.
  • Benchmarking: There are some benchmarking inconsistencies between the PSS®E, PSCAD™ and PowerFactory models.
  • Performance: The models have not been tuned for a specific SCR or X/R.

gridmo is a software platform helping engineers conduct grid connection studies, rather than an OEM/model builder. We decided to publish our template/results with these known model issues/limitations in an effort to display the capability of our platform, rather than the performance of an untuned generic model.

Revision history​

Version 5 | 2 July 2025​

Improvements
  • Updated to smiby v22.
Fixed
  • Turned off frequency playback in smiby (was accidentally enabled by default, only affects the PSCAD™ model if run directly from the download link above, not if run via the gridmo Engine)

Version 4 | 19 June 2025​

Fixed
  • Updated active current base and reactive current base with typical values for Australian grid connection requirements (id base of 175 MW and iq base of 188.1576 MVAr)
  • Turned on smiby's initialisation mode and voltage disturbance snubber circuit (which are both on by default in smiby v21)

Version 1.4.16 | 31 July 2024​

  • Updates to example WECC-SOLAR PV model to align with revised template descriptions.

Version 1.4.5 | 14 November 2023​

  • Changed default POC voltage from 1.00 to 1.025 [p.u.].

Version 1.3.4 | 1st August 2023​

  • PSS®E slider file (SLD) was not included in the Engine installer.
note

To see the changelog for older changes to this model, please see the main gridmo change log here.