Analysis of Switch Automation Based on Active Reconfiguration Considering Reliability, Energy Storage Systems, and Variable Renewables

Economic development and changing lifestyles are leading to the extensive use of energy-intensive technologies by consumers. As a result, this has led to a dramatically increased demand for electricity. In addition, the consumers’ increasing demand for a more reliable and uninterrupted energy supply is posing enormous challenge for service providers. This necessitates the development of novel solutions that should be at the system operators’ disposal, particularly at distribution levels. One way to partly address this concern is by automating distribution systems and equipping them with intelligent technologies–a transformation to smart distribution systems. Such a transformation should improve system reliability and operational efficiency because such systems will be capable of operating and immediately restoring discontinued service to consumers. To facilitate this, it is necessary to replace manual switches by remotely controlled ones, improving the system restoration capability, which is one of the key features of smart grids. This paper presents a new framework to determine the minimal set of switches that have to be replaced or optimally allocated in order to automate the system. This is supported by a sensitivity analysis. Different topologies are also assessed taking into account various reliability indices and power losses in system operation following the system's automation. Such an optimization work is done under a massive integration of renewable energy sources and energy storage systems. All this simultaneously addresses the economic and functional requirements of the automated system, ultimately improving system's reliability. The standard IEEE 119-bus standard system is used as a case study, where different types of loads are considered (residential, commercial, and industrial).