Tools for Analysis and Design of Distributed Resources—Part II: Tools for Planning, Analysis and Design of Distribution Networks With Distributed Resources

Distribution software packages were primarily designed for analyzing radial systems with very limited capabilities for representing distributed resources (DR). Software manufacturers are presently updating and expanding the capabilities of their tools. The challenges, however, are many, since the new tools should be able to represent a wide range of power component models, efficiently compute steady-state and transient unbalanced operating conditions, or cope with DR interconnections whose design cannot be anticipated yet. This paper summarizes the main types of studies related to planning, analysis, and design of distribution networks, analyzes the models required for representing distributed resources, and discusses the future capabilities of distribution software packages. This paper includes test cases that illustrate some of the studies related to planning, analysis, and design of distribution networks with penetration of DR.