Optimal Utilization of Voltage Controlled Resources in Distributed Generation

Distributed generation (DG) is increasing in penetration on power systems across the world. In rural areas, voltage rise limits the permissible penetration levels of DG. Another increasingly important issue is the impact on transmission system voltages of DG reactive power demand. Here, a passive solution is proposed to reduce the impact on the transmission system voltages and overcome the distribution voltage rise barrier such that more DG can be connected. The fixed power factors of the generators and the tap setting of the transmission transformer are determined by a linear programming formulation. The method is tested on a sample section of radial distribution network and on a model of the all island Irish transmission system illustrating that enhanced passive utilization of voltage control resources can deliver many of the benefits of active management without any of the expense or perceived risk, while also satisfying the conflicting objectives of the transmission system operator.