Power system zoning for distributed generation implementation forecasting

Nowadays bulk power system perspective development plans became ineffective, because they do not account for distributed generation implementation, the share of which in total power balance grows steadily from year to year. The paper presents the methodology for existing and prospective distributed generation installed capacity assessment, which combines power statistics, economic and geographical methods. Proposed methodology is based on technological, economic, sociopolitical criteria analysis. From technical point of view, much attention is given to existing power system technical state assessment, including substation available capacity and distribution feeders' carrying capacity limits. In economic sense, except for direct relationship between economic and energy sector development rates, the approach provides for distributed generation installed capacity ranging in accordance with the sphere of its application, namely, the type of the enterprise and the field of industry. It is suitable to estimate to discover the total distributed generation installed capacity and to predict the main centers of distributed generation interconnection. All the calculations are illustrated numerically on the basis of the real regional power system.