Demand Side Management Considering Load–Voltage Interdependence and Optimal Topology Selection in Active Distribution Networks

In active electric distribution networks (ADN), demand-side management (DSM) optimizes energy consumption to ensure a better balance between power generation and demand and confines grid parameters within the tolerable band. Load management in the DSM is generally adopted to align instantaneous power demands towards its time average value, reducing peak and improving load factors. In three-phase, reconfigurable ADNs with a significant presence of voltage-dependent loads, overlooking topology-voltage-load interdependencies critically impact the optimality and efficiency of DSM implementation. This paper proposes an efficient grid managment scheme to combine DSM and optimal network selection that accommodates topology-voltage and voltage-load influences. In the first stage, node load factors are improved by optimizing the ‘voltage-dependent load factor index (VDLFI)’, an indicator designed to find the optimal load schedules for flexible loads. The second stage finds optimal topology among the archived feasible ones based on a sorting and ranking method, corresponding to minimal losses and no voltage violations. The second stage updates node voltages to the first stage, and the process is repeated iteratively until convergence to common optimal points. The proposed technique is validated with extensive case studies on a modified IEEE-34 bus system. Apart from eliminating all voltage violation instances, this novel approach reduced energy loss by 39.21% and peak demand by 19.21%, offering promising prospects for operational planning in modern ADNs.