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Nowadays, there is a wide consensus about integrating more renewable energy sources-RESs to solve a multitude of global concerns such as meeting an increasing demand for electricity, reducing energy security and heavy dependence on fossil fuels for energy production, and reducing the overall carbon footprint of power production. Framed in this context, the coordination of RES integration with energy storage systems (ESSs), along with the network’s switching capability and/or reinforcement, is expected to significantly improve system flexibility, thereby increasing the capability of the system in accommodating large-scale RES power. Hence, this paper presents a novel mechanism to quantify the impacts of network switching and/or reinforcement as well as deployment of ESSs on the level of renewable power integrated in the system. To carry out this analysis, a dynamic and multi-objective stochastic mixed integer linear programming (S-MILP) model is developed, which jointly takes the optimal deployment of RES-based DGs and ESSs into account in coordination with distribution network reinforcement and/or reconfiguration. The IEEE 119-bus test system is used as a case study. Numerical results clearly show the capability of ESS deployment in dramatically increasing the level of renewable DGs integrated in the system. Although case-dependent, the impact of network reconfiguration on RES power integration is not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical distribution system operators (DSOs) are facing an increasing number of challenges, largely as a result of the growing integration of distributed energy resources (DERs), such as photovoltaic (PV) and wind power. Amid global climate change and other energy-related concerns, the transformation of electrical distribution systems (EDSs) will most likely go ahead by modernizing distribution grids so that more DERs can be accommodated. Therefore, new operational strategies that aim to increase the flexibility of EDSs must be thought of and developed. This action is indispensable so that EDSs can seamlessly accommodate large amounts of intermittent renewable power. One plausible strategy that is worth considering is operating distribution systems in a meshed topology. The aim of this work is, therefore, related to the prospects of gradually adopting such a strategy. The analysis includes the additional level of flexibility that can be provided by operating distribution grids in a meshed manner, and the utilization level of variable renewable power. The distribution operational problem is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming approach in a stochastic framework. Numerical results reveal the multi-faceted benefits of operating distribution grids in a meshed manner. Such an operation scheme adds considerable flexibility to the system and leads to a more efficient utilization of variable renewable energy source (RES)-based distributed generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]