Descriptive Example of a Hybrid Hosting Capacity Method

The power distribution system is becoming more strained as rapidly increasing amounts of generation (e.g., photovoltaics) and load (e.g., electric vehicles) are being connected to the grid. Distribution planners need analytical tools that allow them to decide how to effectively, yet efficiently, integrate those new devices. Hosting Capacity studies are used to estimate the amount of new devices that can be accommodated anywhere on the distribution system without adversely impacting power quality or reliability under existing control configurations and without requiring infrastructure upgrades. Hosting capacity is a complex process that can be divided into three parts: the collection of input data, the analytical engine, and the end-use application of the results. The analytical engine can have different methods based on detailed, streamlined, or hybrid assessments. The detailed assessments are accurate but requires significant engineering and computational effort. The streamlined assessments are fast but not as accurate as detailed methods. Finally, the hybrid assessments aim to have good accuracy while reducing the simulation time. In this paper a hybrid assessment method for performing hosting capacity analysis is presented. The hybrid assessment method proposed considers steady-state overvoltage and thermal ratings. The results of this method are compared with OpenDSS using a model of a real U.S. 12-kV distribution feeder.