Composite Power System Reliability Evaluation Incorporating Network Topology Optimization and Demand Side Management

As one of the most critical infrastructures in the nation, the asset utilization efficiency and reliable operation of power system are major concerns for the electric utilities and other stakeholders. The implementation of new smart grid technologies helps offer more flexible operation modes for the power system. Demand side management could improve the adequacy of power systems by regulating energy consumption pattern and shaving the peak load. Novel network topology optimization strategies can promote the utilization efficiency of transmission systems and relieve the transmission congestions by optimizing the network reconfiguration. Both technologies could make contributions to the improvement of power system reliability levels by enabling a better utilization of existing assets. However, traditional reliability evaluation studies incorporating demand response are all based on fixed network topology. So the overall impact of combined demand side management and network reconfiguration has not been studied as of yet. In this paper, multiple demand side management programs and network topology optimization model are integrated in a composite reliability evaluation framework. Case studies are performed on a modified RTS-79 system. The results of case studies verify the effectiveness of the coordination between two technologies in enabling composite power system reliability enhancement.