The long term optimal planning of distribution systems is a very complex combinatorial problem because of the number of alternatives to be explored and the dimension of the distribution system. Distribution planners have to plan the development of the system facing the constantly increasing budget restrictions and without lacking the stringent requirements on service quality and system security. More recently, political drives and environmental concerns are creating the conditions for a larger integration of distributed energy resources. As direct consequence, the amount of energy resources currently connected to the system has approached the maximum allowable limit and major network investments are going to became necessary with the risk of limiting the exploitation of novel energy sources. The active network management of the system is a way to operate the distribution system without limiting the integration of distributed energy resources with unfair technical and economical barriers. From the distribution planning point of view, the active distribution management is also a way to differ or avoid major investments and may result very attractive for distribution planners. The active management of the network should be considered at the planning level to exactly assess investments in the medium/long term but this requires the use of novel algorithms suitable for multi-year planning. A multi-year dynamic program has been recently developed by the authors in cooperation with CESI RICERCA in the framework of a research project funded by the Italian Government. In the paper, the algorithm has been improved and a novel optimization technique is presented that allows assessing when the resort to active management is truly convenient, which of the distributed energy resource – generators and responsive loads – are to be involved in the active management and at what extent such an innovative operation would be convenient. The discussion of a small application example is also proposed to underline the benefits of the procedure without a lack of generality.
From Passive to Active Distribution Networks: Methods and Models for Planning Network Transition and Development
PILO, FABRIZIO GIULIO LUCA;GHIANI, EMILIO;MOCCI, SUSANNA;CELLI, GIANNI;PISANO, GIUDITTA;SOMA, GIAN GIUSEPPE
2008-01-01
Abstract
The long term optimal planning of distribution systems is a very complex combinatorial problem because of the number of alternatives to be explored and the dimension of the distribution system. Distribution planners have to plan the development of the system facing the constantly increasing budget restrictions and without lacking the stringent requirements on service quality and system security. More recently, political drives and environmental concerns are creating the conditions for a larger integration of distributed energy resources. As direct consequence, the amount of energy resources currently connected to the system has approached the maximum allowable limit and major network investments are going to became necessary with the risk of limiting the exploitation of novel energy sources. The active network management of the system is a way to operate the distribution system without limiting the integration of distributed energy resources with unfair technical and economical barriers. From the distribution planning point of view, the active distribution management is also a way to differ or avoid major investments and may result very attractive for distribution planners. The active management of the network should be considered at the planning level to exactly assess investments in the medium/long term but this requires the use of novel algorithms suitable for multi-year planning. A multi-year dynamic program has been recently developed by the authors in cooperation with CESI RICERCA in the framework of a research project funded by the Italian Government. In the paper, the algorithm has been improved and a novel optimization technique is presented that allows assessing when the resort to active management is truly convenient, which of the distributed energy resource – generators and responsive loads – are to be involved in the active management and at what extent such an innovative operation would be convenient. The discussion of a small application example is also proposed to underline the benefits of the procedure without a lack of generality.
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