A study of congestion management in smart distribution networks based on demand flexibility

Electrical distribution networks worldwide are facing frequent capacity challenges due to the widespread roll out of various distributed energy resources (DERs). A number of demand response (DR) mechanisms have been developed in order to circumvent the problems and enhance the flexibility of the distribution network. While the existing centralised control system remains its crucial role for reliable and secure grid operation, distributed intelligence is a complement technology with a focus on dividing the control task into a number of simpler problems and solve them with minimum exchange of information. Based on the recent developments of distributed intelligence, this paper investigates a set of different congestion management approaches to effectively regulate the overloading issue of transformers or conductors. The study is validated with simulations for representative Dutch low-voltage (LV) networks.