Optimum distributed generation penetration in a distribution network

This paper investigates the results of distributed generation penetration in a medium voltage power distribution network. The network is located in West Macedonia, Greece. The connected distributed generation resources are in their entirety small hydroelectric plants. Their locations and ratings are predetermined. Only technical constraints such as thermal current, transformer capacity, voltage profile and short-circuit level are taken into account. The arising problems concerning the network voltage profile are first solved by changing the network structure. Afterwards an already known but suitably modified and optimized method is used to determine an optimum distribution of the maximum distributed generation penetration either in the predetermined network buses or in other random buses, in order to avoid the technical problems, without changing the network structure.