Reliability optimisation of distribution feeders

For many years, electricity distribution companies have used sustained interruption indices as indicators of the reliability of service provided by their systems. The natural monopoly, which distribution companies possess, means that it is not possible to have natural feedback on price and reliability from the consumers. Therefore, many regulatory bodies are using reliability indices in order to give electricity distribution companies the economic signs to improve reliability. The sign is given in the form of an economic penalty or compensation that must be paid to the affected customers. To avoid being given a penalty or compensation, distribution companies must improve the reliability by investing the optimal amount of money so that they can maximise their profits. This paper presents a new simple optimisation process, which will allow finding the optimal equipment position along the feeders. The optimisation process is based on a minimisation of frequency indices