Evaluating the Potential of Hosting Capacity Enhancement Using Integrated Grid Planning modeling Methods

Syahrul Nizam Md Saad and Adriaan van der Weijde
Additional contact information
Syahrul Nizam Md Saad: School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3DW, UK

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 19, 1-23

Abstract: Connection of a significant amount of distributed generation, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity, may lead to problems in distribution networks due to violations of distribution network hosting capacity (HC) limits. HC enhancement techniques, such as energy storage, could increase the allowable PV penetration level in the distribution network, reducing the need for transmission and large-scale generation expansion. However, current approaches for transmission and generation expansion planning do not account for distribution network HC limits. As a consequence, it is hard to quantify the impact and benefits of HC enhancement in the context of long-term grid expansion planning. This paper presents a novel integrated planning approach, combining a two-stage transmission and generation expansion planning model with a distribution network hosting capacity assessment, which allows for inclusion of detailed distribution network constraints We test this method on a stylized representation of the Malaysian grid. Our results show that distribution constraints have a significant impact on optimal transmission expansion plans and significantly increase overall system costs. HC enhancement in the form of battery storage does not significantly mitigate this but does lead to a cost decrease regardless of distribution network constraints. We also show how our approach can identify the key interactions between transmission and distribution networks in systems with high levels of renewable and storage technologies. In particular, HC enhancement with battery storage can act as a substitute or complement to line investment, depending on the renewable energy penetration, the storage location and the level of coordination in the network.

Keywords: distributed solar PV; distributed generation; hosting capacity; hosting capacity enhancement; integrated grid planning; Malaysia; renewable energy; storage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/19/3610/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/19/3610/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:19:p:3610-:d:269476

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().