On Distributed PV Hosting Capacity Estimation, Sensitivity Study, and Improvement

Abstract

This paper first studies the estimated distributed photovoltaic (PV) hosting capacities of 17 utility distribution feeders using the Monte Carlo simulation based stochastic analysis, and then analyzes the sensitivity of PV hosting capacity to both feeder and PV system characteristics. Furthermore, an active distribution network management approach is proposed to maximize PV hosting capacity by optimally switching capacitors, adjusting voltage regulator taps, managing controllable branch switches, and controlling smart PV inverters. The approach is formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problem and a genetic algorithm is developed to obtain the solution. Multiple simulation cases are studied and the effectiveness of the proposed approach on increasing PV hosting capacity is demonstrated.