“Smart Planning” — An integrated approach for distribution system planning to cope with its future requirements

Planning of Distribution Systems is facing several new challenges: (1)The portion of decentralized renewable sources within the distribution area is increasing (leading to inversion of power flows and potential congestions). (2)Prediction scenarios describing the future construction of renewable energy sources resp. decommissioning of conventional generation units are divergent and heterogeneous. (3)The asset base mainly built during economic expansion periods within the last century are shifting to critical states. (4) Investment budgets are shrinking. An isolated treatment of each aspect cannot lead to a feasible approach since the objectives are in conflict to each other. This paper outlines an integrated computational approach for optimizing all aspects simultaneously. The solution is guided by actual planning principles of planning experts from the DSO partner.