Increasing transfer capability of the transmission system using the meteorological data

Competition in deregulated environment requires that the electric companies take advantage of all transmission resources in order to maximize profits. It is very important for transmission system operator to know the maximum power level that can be transmitted over their power transmission lines at any given time. Thus this enables them to maintain load reliably and secure adequate financial gains without compromising system wide reliability, in particular during system contingencies. The thermal constraints can cause congestion due to insufficient transfer capability on a transmission line and thus disrupt the energy schedules created to meet generation and demand needs. The dynamic thermal rating can be an economical way to maximize the power transfer capability. In this paper, an off-line analysis of power transfer capability using meteorological data is realized. The dynamic thermal ratings for Albanian transmission lines are calculated in order to define the feasibility of on-line application.