Measurement and verification of distribution voltage optimization results for the IEEE power & energy society

Since 2002 the author´s company, PCS UtiliData, has installed and operated 11 separate distribution voltage optimization projects involving 10 electric utilities, 19 different substations and 66 separate distribution feeders. Data has been collected and analyzed for those projects. This paper discusses the method of measurement and verification and the findings and results of the analyses on a macro level, i.e. on a feeder or substation level. The results of the analysis on a macro level contradict commonly held assumptions on how feeder current behaves when feeder voltage is reduced, whether CVR_f is constant over a voltage range, how motor current behaves when motor terminal voltage is reduced and others. The paper then discusses these contradictions using various studies and analysis of results on a micro level, that is on a distribution device or utilization device level.