Hybrid technique for optimal placement and sizing of distributed generation units considering real and reactive power injection

Distributed generation resources have played a major role in strengthening the performance of the distribution network (DN). Strategically placing and sizing these resources can relieve the stress on distribution line, fostering a more reliable and sustainable energy supply for a greener tomorrow. The literature outlines various optimization techniques, each with its pros and cons based on the methodology used. Some of these techniques are unable to find out the size and placement of DGs that can supply both active and reactive power, while others have a low rate of convergence and the probability of falling into local optima. This research presents a hybrid technique (AT-GSA) based on an analytical and grid search algorithm that can solve the aforementioned problems. Here the goal is to minimize power losses in the DN while enhancing the DN's voltage profile and voltage stability index (VSI). IEEE 33-bus and IEEE 69-bus systems are being used to validate the proposed technique. The findings indicate that by injecting real and reactive power, the IEEE 33-bus and IEEE 69-bus systems experienced a reduction in losses of 88.26% and 93.21%, respectively, compared to base losses. The average absolute error (AAE) of the voltages shows a substantial decrease, declining from 0.0561 and 0.0268, respectively, to 0.0062 and 0.0069. The VSI for each DN has also shown a substantial increase in comparison to the reference case.