The effects of distributed generation sources within commercial retail reticulation networks

Abstract

Distributed Generation (DG) systems are becoming more common with increasing electricity prices and growing awareness of sustainable energy generation sources. Reticulation networks are typically planned, designed and operated to be purely passive networks that deliver electricity to consumers in a unidirectional manner (from source to load). The integration of DG into reticulation networks can alter conventional power flow within the network, as well as load parameters. The effects of DG on load and network parameters is investigated in this paper through the use of a developed hypothetical commercial reticulation network and load demand profiles. The introduction of a DG source at low levels of penetration was found to not significantly alter load parameters, although effects are noticeable. The largest variation in load parameters can be observed at high levels of DG penetration. Since load parameters (such as coincident demand) play an important role in the design of reticulation networks, the results obtained from this study indicate that current design procedures and standards for reticulation networks must be scrutinized when high levels of DG penetration are introduced.