Allocation and Sizing of Distributed Generators in Distribution System Using Multi-Objective Optimization

Currently, in Brazil, the integration of Distributed Generation into the Electric Power Distribution System has become a protagonist in the expansion of the electricity supply in the country. HHowever, despite its modularity and flexibility as an energy source, improper allocation and sizing can lead to issues in the quality of supplied energy, making the distribution system unreliable. Possible flaws in the protection system, increased harmonic distortion, and elevated power losses are some of the associated issues. Thus, in this article, a multi-objective optimization method is employed to allocate and size distributed generators, aiming to reduce power losses and investment costs while respecting operational constraints of the system. In this study, the adopted optimization method was the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II, and the IEEE 37-node test network was used to evaluate the proposed methodology. The developed algorithm demonstrated its capacity and robustness in solving the optimization problem, achieving an 8% reduction in power losses with the least increase in annual investment cost compared to the original system.