Daily Reconfiguration of Distribution Network with Renewable Generation

The paper is concerned with the approaches to reducing losses in primary distribution network, considering reliability of power supply to consumers. The distribution network reconfiguration is the main procedure for the minimization of losses. A proposed reconfiguration algorithm is based on the graph theory methods and implemented in a high-performance program for load flow calculation. An algorithm is devised to optimize daily load curve of load-controlled consumers, considering daily electricity price charts, constraints on state variables and invariable daily electricity consumption. The research is focused on individual and joint impact of reconfiguration, renewable generation, and optimization of load curves of load-controlled consumers on reduction in daily power and voltage losses. Consideration is also given to the influence of renewable generation on the number of switchings at reconfiguration, and the possibility of choosing some constant reconfiguration under which daily power losses could be compared with the losses obtained for hourly reconfiguration. The research into how the uncertainty of the day-ahead forecast data on load and generation affects the value of power losses in distribution network is conducted. The results of the research demonstrate that the information uncertainty does not affect much the loss reduction at reconfiguration.