Multi-criteria decision considering penalty costs for load restoration in MV networks

In the new schemes for electric markets, the utilities are strongly penalized for deficiencies in electric service quality (ESQ). Penalties are applied when certain limits are exceeded. This paper presents a fuzzy-heuristic methodology to find the optimal economical load restoration alternative in case of faults, based on a multi-criteria analysis that considers ESQ signals as a decision criterion. The ESQ allows to evaluate on real time frequency and duration indexes of interruptions to determine penalty costs for non-supplied energy. A fuzzy inference system is utilized to calculate the restoration times associated to various alternatives, allowing to determine future penalty costs for nonsupplied energy. For multiple simultaneous faults, a priority order must be established on the basis of preliminary estimated penalties. The proposed methodology was proved on a real 290-node network in which the advantages of the method were verified