Reactive power control strategy for voltage regulation and power-factor correction in MV distribution networks

In Italy, many demonstration projects were sponsored and funded in order to develop intelligent automation techniques able to achieve efficiency, reliability, and security of power distribution grids. One of these projects, conducted by A.S.M. Terni S.p.A. (an Italian distribution system operator), concerns the voltage profile control along MV feeders and the power-factor correction at HV/MV primary substations by regulating the available reactive power sources. The selection of a trial location has been performed through measurements and simulations. For this aim, an optimal power flow procedure, which controls the reactive power generated by existent generating units and by an ad hoc installed synchronous compensator, has been developed. Tests and simulations confirm that the proposed solution is able to obtain voltage profile stabilization, power-factor correction, reduction of power losses and operating costs, and justify the implementation of this procedure in the supervisor control and data acquisition system (SCADA).