Distributed energy resources and environmental optimization using a memetic algorithm

In recent years the Electrical Utilities has been confronted with several challenges which include amongst others the widespread use of distributed energy resources and a public increase in environmental issues. By optimizing the location of switching devices on the electrical distribution system, an improvement in energy not supplied and in the availability of the distributed energy resources can be obtained thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This work proposes the Memetic evolutionary algorithm for the multiobjective optimal placement of the switching devices. A trade-off between the investment in equipment cost (EC), energy not supplied (ENS) and greenhouse gas emissions (GGER) is analyzed, in order to choose the optimal placement of switching devices in distribution electrical networks. The proposed method was tested with a Portuguese real distribution network. The obtained results are presented and discussed.