Distributed generation management: An optimal sensitivity approach for decentralized power control

The high penetration level of Distributed Generation (DG) power plants into Distribution Networks (DN) has highlighted the necessity to develop proper control techniques to supply customers with voltage levels contained within regulatory limits and to offer ancillary services to the DN. Compared with traditional centralized control techniques, decentralized ones act locally requiring less investments in terms of communication systems or remote sensing. This paper deals with optimization issues for local reactive power control of voltage profiles in Medium Voltage (MV) radial distribution systems. The proposed optimized controller is based on a sensitivity analysis approach aimed at minimizing reactive power injection into the DN and active power losses while avoiding DG units disconnection as much as possible. Validation of the proposed controller has been conducted on a real MV Italian distribution system.