Comparison of Approximate and Exact Voltage Drop Calculations for Distribution Lines

Recently many utilities have discovered that a number of small power producers are requesting service. In some cases, the capacity of these generators is so small that the only economic alternative is to serve the power producer from the existing distribution system. This paper re-examines the the accuracy of the traditional method of performing voltage-drop calculations on distribution systems, in light of the abnormal conditions caused by small generators and ordinary loads served from the same distribution line.