Distributed generation planning for losses, voltage profile, line congestion and total system cost improvement

The main goal of this paper is to obtain the optimal Distributed Generation (DG) investments as well as purchase additional power from Transmission Companies (TRANSCOs). To do this, a new mathematical modeling and a new software package interfacing between the two powerful softwares MATLAB and GAMS are used. The proposed model optimizes total system planning costs and consequently costumers’ bills, reduces total system losses, guaranties system voltage profiles and prevents feeders’ congestion. This new model and software package have been executed in two different cases depending if system voltage profiles are in their permissible margin or not; in each case, three different scenarios are studied, depending on planning problem constraints. The simulation results show the economical and electrical benefits of DG installation by solving the distribution system planning problem and by improving power quality of the distribution system. It is illustrated that DG installation also can increase the main feeders’ lifetime by reducing their loading and adds the benefit of using the existing distribution system for further load growth without the need for feeders upgrading