Sizing and placement of distributed generation and energy storage for a large-scale distribution network employing cluster partitioning

Abstract

With the massive production of renewable energy, negative power flows occur in many areas due to the input of a high proportion of renewable power into medium- and lower-voltage systems. These negative power flows alter the traditional radiative pattern of power distribution and cause operational safety problems such as overvoltage and massive transmission losses. Exploiting the reverse flow within certain areas as well as the different outwarding power characteristics of different substations with the aim of ensuring power supply quality would reduce the need to install energy storage systems. Here, a grid partitioning method is proposed that considers the complementary characteristics as well as electrical distances of different substations. A planning model is proposed considering the potential profitability of installing renewable power generation and clustering outwarding power and transmission losses. The uncertainty of renewable power generation and load is considered using worst-case scenarios to form a robust optimization model. The effectiveness of cluster planning is confirmed, and the robustness of the planning schemes is evaluated by applying the proposed model to a real-world 35-110 KV distribution network in Anhui Province, China.