State-of-art review on regulation for distributed generation integration in distribution systems

Integration of distributed generation (DG) into distribution networks may affect many different factors, such as network reliability, voltage quality and network planning. Network regulation, therefore, is needed to provide the distribution system operators (DSOs) with fair business, meanwhile protecting the consumers and producers from any potential exploitation by the DSOs because of their monopoly situation. EU Member States have implemented different regulations, but there is no consensus yet as to what is the most appropriate mechanism for a successful and efficient integration of DG in distribution grids. This paper reviews the state-of-art of the regulatory frameworks for the integration of DG in some EU countries, and methods to model the regulation impact on DG integration in distribution systems. For each regulatory scheme, the main critical issues concerning DG integration are identified.