Optimal distribution feeder reconfiguration for integration of electric vehicles

Penetration levels of electric vehicles (EVs) and distributed energy resources (DER) increase as the power distribution grid continues to change. This leads to a significant variation in the distribution system load profile, reduce the voltage quality and create congestion in some nodes of the network. Distribution network reconfiguration (DNR) presents an alternative to reduce the impact of EVs and DER while avoiding requirements of network reinforcement. This work proposes a day-ahead optimal network reconfiguration to mitigate the negative impact caused by the presence of EVs in the distribution system. The distribution network is optimized using genetic algorithm (GA). A sequence of hourly network configuration is proposed to minimize the operating cost resulting from both power losses and switching operation. The cost of power losses is calculated based on the National Electricity Market of Singapore (NEMS)'s electricity hourly price. Simulations results are provided to validate the proposed method.