Optimal combination of DG technologies in distribution systems

This paper proposes an efficient method for allocating multiple distributed generation (DG) technologies in distribution systems. The optimal DG sizes, DG locations, and the best combination between different DG technologies are determined. The objective function is to minimize losses in distribution systems. The proposed method is generic since it can solve the optimization problem with different combinations of DG technologies. A direct and fast solution of the DG allocation problem can be obtained using the proposed method without requiring iterative processes. The IEEE 33-bus distribution system is employed to test the proposed method. Different combinations of DG units are studied and optimally allocated. The results show that the proposed method can handle the optimal solution accurately. It is also demonstrated that determining the optimal combination of different DG technologies can contribute positively on loss minimization in distribution systems.