Decision making in distribution system using improved AHP-PROMETHEE method

Distribution system (DS) delivers electrical power to the end users and is the first interface of the utility with the consumers. Distribution system contributes the highest power loss due to its operation in low voltage level. Due to deregulation and competition, distribution utilities are under pressure to minimize operation cost by reducing losses and to improve reliability. Therefore, management of electricity distribution networks faces many problems, mainly due to unplanned network expansion, increased demand and real-time management. The distribution system is reconfigured for the purpose of loss minimization, load balancing on the feeders, maintenance etc., it also affects voltage profile, reliability, power factor, etc. In this paper, two multiple attribute decision making (MADM) methods AHP and PROMETHEE are integrated and proposed for finding the compromised best radial configuration by considering from available alternatives.