Optimal Smart Inverter Control for PV and BESS to Improve PV Hosting Capacity of Distribution Networks Using Slime Mould Algorithm

In this study, an optimal reactive power (Volt/VAr) control of smart inverters for photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage systems (BESSs) to improve the PV hosting capacity (PVHC) of distribution networks is proposed. The primary objective of the proposed method is to improve the PVHC of a distribution network by determining the optimal oversize, dispatch, and control setting of the Volt/VAr functions of the smart inverters for both PVs and BESSs. Concurrently, the optimal locations of the PVs and BESSs are determined. The problem is formulated as a multi-objective mixed-integer nonlinear optimization to maximize the PVHC and minimize the voltage deviation simultaneously. A bio-inspired metaheuristic optimization method, i.e., the slime mould algorithm (SMA), is employed to solve the optimization problem. To assess the efficacy of the proposed PVHC improvement method, extensive simulations are conducted on an IEEE 33-node system using MATLAB software. The simulation results verify that the proposed method improves the PVHC of the distribution network compared to different cases and the default Volt/VAr control settings of the smart inverters. Furthermore, the SMA optimization method provides superior performance in finding the optimal PVHC of a distribution network compared to the conventional metaheuristic optimization methods.