Improving voltage profile in radial distribution systems using binary particle swarm optimization and probabilistic load flow

The voltage regulation is one of the main problems to be dealt in distributed generation photovoltaic systems. Loads and distributed generation production can be assumed as random variables. Results demonstrate that the suggested method can be applied for the maintaining of voltages within established limits at all load nodes of a photovoltaic grid-connected system (PVGCS). To assess the performance of photovoltaic system, this work proposes a probabilistic model that takes into account the random nature of solar irradiance and load. In this paper is presented a new method employing discrete particle swarm optimization and probabilistic radial load flow. Computer simulation reduction evidences a better performance of the new probabilistic load flow in comparison to Monte Carlo simulation. Satisfactory solutions are reached in a smaller number of iterations. Hence, convergence is quickly reached and computational cost is low enough than that demanded for Monte Carlo simulation.