Optimal mix of wind generation and energy storage systems in power distribution networks

The need for high penetration of renewable energy sources poses several economic and technical challenges in distribution system planning and operation. In order to confront effectively these challenges, the integration of energy storage systems (ESSs) is proposed. More specifically, in this paper, an optimal power flow (OPF) based technique is developed for the optimal sizing of wind generation units and ESSs as well as their optimal operation strategy, considering the ESSs´ reactive power contribution and a curtailment factor in wind generation. Application results on a 34-bus distribution network illustrate the performance of the proposed method.