Methods Comparison for Optimal Capacitor Placement in Distribution System

In this study presents three famous approaches that used for reduce total losses and energy cost and maximize savings with solving the voltage deviation problem and improve power factor via optimal position and size of capacitor banks in electrical radial distribution networks. The proposed optimization model for placement of capacitor and size has been experimented on section of 214 buses contain power plant located in an industrial area in southern Iraq. Comparison the results obtained through the use of three approaches namely genetic algorithm (GA), imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) and moth flame optimization (MFO), and case without capacitors and standard case after turning tap changer for all system, we invite and recommend to use genetic algorithm method due to speed, easy and accuracy of gained results by this way. Case study of this section of national network is implemented optimal capacitor placement (OCP) and load flow analysis by using ETAP and the openDSS software is utilized to resolve the power flow through MATLAB programming interface.