A novel methodology for multi-year planning of large-scale distribution networks

This paper presents a new optimization procedure for multi-year distribution network planning based on dynamic programming, local network concept and mixed integer model. By introducing principles of dynamic programming and local network concept the multi-year planning problem of real-size networks is divided into sequences of sub problems with significantly reduced dimensions, enabling application of complex mixed integer programming model in each sub problem. The results obtained on several real-life distribution networks have shown that suggested procedure enables more efficient use of existing capacities and reduction of future expansion costs.