Mitigating the impact of distributed generation on distribution network costs through advanced response options

Nowadays, the presence of distributed generation (DG) is steadily growing. This growth can produce significant effects on the costs incurred by distribution system operators (DSOs). This impact can be particularly negative if DG keeps playing a passive role, not reacting to network conditions. However, the implementation of advanced response options or active network management (ANM) may mitigate the adverse effects of large DG penetration levels. This paper considers the adoption of ANM planning strategies and provides an estimate of the distribution network costs reduction that can be achieved through the implementation of advanced response options. Two large-scale distribution planning models, called reference network models (RNMs), have been used to calculate these cost estimates. Three actual distribution areas are studied, taking into account different scenarios of load and DG for each one of them. These areas are located in The Netherlands, Germany and Spain and were chosen to reflect a wide range of different types of consumers, load concentration and DG technologies.