Sensitivity analysis to connect distributed generation

One of the alternatives to reduce costs in a power system is the application of distributed generation (DG). Although inherent flexibilities of DG, the point of connection must be carefully chosen in order to avoid any hazardous impact. Normally, this choice is based on loss minimization, improvement of the voltage profile and reduction of the power flows through the lines. The search field of this problem is vast. In order to diminish it, this article assumes that only some buses of the network are candidates to the connection. Thus, one of the main objectives of this work is the proposition of a sensitivity analysis that indicates the best buses to realize the connection. Due to peculiarities of this proposed analysis, the voltage phasor is represented by the rectangular form. To test it, a conventional allocation's methodology is implemented and solved using genetic algorithms (GA) together with an optimal power flow (OPF). A purely radial feeder of one distribution company in Brazil, with 2678 buses and a typical network of 70 buses are chosen to present the results of the methodology. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.