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Staff warns reactive‑power limits could constrain how much behind‑the‑meter solar the city adds
Summary
City staff told council that inverter‑based solar can create reactive‑power issues that lower power factor; the city’s interconnect with Evergy requires maintaining a high power factor, so a power‑quality study is needed before adding substantial behind‑the‑meter capacity.
City staff explained technical limits that may constrain how much behind‑the‑meter solar Baldwin City can add without corrective equipment. Staff member Jeff warned that inverter‑based generation creates reactive power that can reduce the system’s power factor and said one condition of Baldwin City’s interconnect with Evergy is that the municipal power factor must “remain at 95 and above.”
Jeff and the vendors discussed mitigation options: inverter settings can provide reactive‑power support but may reduce real‑power output, or the city could add capacitor banks or specialized storage to correct power factor. Council members agreed a formal power‑quality and power‑flow engineering study is a necessary next step before committing to a larger solar installation.
