Incorporating control system reliability in active management of distribution systems with distributed generation

Several factors affect the viability of Active Management (AM) schemes in distribution systems with distributed generation. One of the critical factors is the control system reliability. While a lot of work has been done on the technical and economic aspects of active distribution network management, almost no attention has been paid to the impact of the reliability of control and communication systems on the expected benefits of active management strategies. This paper investigates the impact of control system reliability on the benefits of AM. The reliability of the control system is assessed through a state enumeration approach, with different load levels. The results for the specific test case suggest that the load level and AM control system reliability should be jointly taken into account for a comprehensive analysis on the overall cost benefit of AM compared to Traditional Reinforcement Scheme (TRS), and that under each load level the economic benefit of AM improves with the improvement of AM control system reliability.