Impacts of Distributed Renewable Energy Sources on Distribution System

Abstract

Globally, electric power usage is increasing day by day, increasing real and reactive power loss in Transmission and Distribution lines, especially for the centralized generation. Integration of non-depletable energy sources, i.e., wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, hydropower, and biomass energy with distribution grid reduce losses of distribution network, consumption of fuel used for centralized fossil fuel-based power plants, environmental impacts, and cost of long-distance high voltage transmission and distribution lines. The benefits of renewable energy resources can be accessible when the optimal location for integrating renewable energy resources is properly planned or designed. Otherwise, this integration will cause negative impacts on the electric power system, such as the increase in the distribution line losses and voltage rise at various buses of the distribution network. If this integration of renewable energy resources is appropriately designed, it will improve the distribution network's voltage profile and reliability. This research reviews the technical and economic impacts of DG; also, the impact of sizing and location of DG on network loss and voltage profile is tested on a real distribution network. The technique proposed in this paper using MATLAB and Open DSS to validate the sizing and placement of DGs optimally. Furthermore, simulation results show that integrating DG at optimal location line losses decreases, improves voltage profile, and the grid will be reliable and optimized.