Placement of dispersed generation systems for reduced losses

Recent improvements in fuel cell technology along with an increasing demand for small generator units have led to renewed interest in dispersed generation units. This work demonstrates a methodology for deploying dispersed fuel cell generators throughout a power system to allow for more efficient operation. A detailed study of the system losses and sensitivities on Eastern Washington system as part of the larger WSCC system has been completed. This work presents an algorithm to determine the near optimal, with respect to system losses, placement of these units on the power grid. Further, the impacts of dispersed generation at the distribution level are performed with an emphasis on resistive losses, and capacity savings. The results show the importance of placement for minimizing losses and maximizing capacity savings.