Optimal investment assessment for distribution reliability through a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm

Reliability is an increasingly important issue in power systems. As well known, problems in distribution systems are the main responsible of customer unavailability. In the last years, the utility interest in the improvement of the reliability in power systems is continuously growing thanks to the deregulation of the electricity market. It is known that inserting switches along the network positively affects the distribution systems reliability but, of course, it involves utility costs. This paper deals with the optimal choice of number, type and location of telecontrolled/automated circuit breakers and sectionalizers in distribution systems taking into account their cost. The optimization problem has been solved by means of a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm able to provide the minimum cost investment required to obtain a given network reliability, as well as the maximum reliability that can be achieved for a given economic investment.