Performance Enhancement of Radial Power Distribution Networks Using Network Reconfiguration and Optimal Planning of Solar Photovoltaic-Based Distributed Generation and Shunt Capacitors

Abstract

In this work, an efficient hybrid optimization approach entitled harmony search and particle artificial bee colony algorithm is proposed to deal with the distribution network reconfiguration and solar photovoltaic-based distributed generation and shunt capacitor deployment in power distribution networks to improve the operating performance of power distribution networks. The proposed hybrid algorithm combines the exploration and exploitation capability of both algorithms to achieve optimal results. The optimization problem is formalized which includes distributed generation and shunt capacitor locations, open/close state of switches as discrete decision variables, and the optimum operating point of compensation devices as continuous variables. An efficient spanning tree approach is utilized to track the optimal topology of the network. The validity of the proposed hybrid algorithm in handling the optimal planning problem of the distribution network is assured through eight different operating scenarios at three discrete load levels. The efficiency of the proposed performance enhancement approaches was validated using 69 node and 118 node distribution networks. The obtained results are compared against similar techniques presented in the literature.