Optimal selection of location, sizing and power factor for solar PV plants using differential evolution

Environmental concern on fossil fuel power plants has been one of the drivers for the growth of renewable energy (RE) plants, particularly solar PV (SPV). Hence, it is imperative that the SPVs are connected to the power grid at suitable location to reduce technical losses and also provide peak load shaving. This would also require the determination of appropriate sizing and power factor of SPVs to ensure voltage limits are adhered to. In this paper, the integration of solar PV plants into the grid, either concurrently or sequentially, is optimized by utilizing Differential Evolution method. The optimal values for location, sizing and power factor of each of the plants are determined simultaneously, such that lowest network loss is achieved, without violating basic power system constraints. Variation of system loads and PV generation is considered, and the importance of optimizing power factor is also emphasized.