Optimal placement and sizing of photovoltaics and battery storage in distribution networks

Abstract

A two‐step optimization approach is proposed to study the effects of adding a battery energy storage system (BESS) to a distribution network incorporating renewable energy sources. In this article, the first step finds the optimal size and placement of the photovoltaic (PV) arrays that lead to the lowest possible losses, cost and voltage deviation from the reference bus, while the second step starts by performing another optimization in order to find the optimal size and placement of the BESS that lead to a further reduction in the same objectives. The optimized Grid‐PV and Grid‐PV‐BESS configurations are subjected to a time domain power flow so that the annual energy losses and voltage profile of each bus can be observed. The article provides a novel formulation that treats the problem as a multi‐objective optimization and uses the Genetic Algorithm technique to reach optimal configuration in both steps. An Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers 13‐Bus test feeder is used to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed technique. A multi‐objective optimization formulation is proposed for sizing and placing PV and battery storage systems in distribution networks. A novel procedure based on Genetic Algorithm and time domain power flow is implemented to achieve optimal sizing and siting of PV and storage units. The usefulness of the proposed technique is demonstrated on an IEEE 13‐bus test feeder. Significant decrease in power losses and improvement in voltage profile have been achieved as a result of optimally allocating PVs and battery storage.