A comparison of distribution network planning solutions: Traditional reinforcement versus integration of distributed energy storage

Despite the radical changes that the electricity distribution system is currently facing and will have to face in the next decade, utilities still adopt a traditional approach for the expansion planning of their networks, based essentially on the fit and forget concept (only network reinforcements to cope with the worst case scenario). Although innovative solutions have been proposed in the last decade at the electricity distribution level (distributed energy storage, active management of distributed generation, demand side integration, etc.) and are becoming technically and economically feasible, they are not yet considered as viable planning alternatives. The reasons of this reluctance are the lack of ad hoc planning tools and business cases. In the paper, a novel planning tool for Active Distribution Networks is applied to a real MV distribution network of the A2A utility sited in the district of Brescia in order to prove the benefit of energy storage devices.