Distribution System Planning With Reliability

This paper presents a model for solving the multistage planning problem of a distribution network. The objective function to be minimized is the net present value of the investment cost to add, reinforce or replace feeders and substations, losses cost, and operation and maintenance cost. The model considers three levels of load in each node and two investment alternatives for each resource to be added, reinforced or replaced. The nonlinear objective function is approximated by a piecewise linear function, resulting in a mixed integer linear model that is solved using standard mathematical programming. The model allows us to find multiple solutions in addition to the optimal one, helping the decision maker to analyze and choose from a pool of solutions. In addition to the optimization problem, reliability indexes and associated costs are computed for each solution, based on the regulation model used in Brazil. Numerical results and discussion are presented for an illustrative 27-node test network.