A Dynamic Approach for Distribution System Planning Considering Distributed Generation

Abstract

Deregulation in the power system industry and invention of new technologies for producing electrical energy have led to innovations in distribution system planning (DSP). Distributed generation (DG) is one of the most attractive technologies that brings different kinds of advantages to a wide range of entities, engaged in power systems. In this paper, a new model for considering DGs in the DSP problem is presented. In this model, an optimal power flow (OPF) is proposed to minimize capital costs for network upgrading, operation and maintenance costs, and the cost of losses for handling the load growth for the planning horizon. The term “dynamic” is used to refer to the planning over a specific period so that dynamic distribution system planning is, in fact, proposed. Besides, a modified genetic algorithm is used to find the optimal topology solution. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated through examination on a radial distribution network.