Effect of multi-unit and multi-type DG installation using integrated optimization technique in distribution power system planning

With the rise in load demand, improving the voltage profile and reducing line loss is vital to ensure reliable power delivery to the customer. However, increasing power plant generation capacity is limited by environmental and economic factors, requiring a careful assessment of locally optimal options. Distributed Generation (DG) installation into the electricity grid is one of the reliable remedial actions to ensure a smooth power delivery. Installation of DG requires an optimization process to identify the appropriate placement and sizing. Inaccurate sizing and placement of the DG installation may result to over-compensation or under-compensation phenomena. This paper proposes a novel approach termed the Integrated Immune Moth Flame Evolutionary Programming technique (IIMFEP) for optimizing the installation of DG sources in distribution systems. It handles various scenarios, including multi-DG single-type and multi-DG multi-type installations, with the main objective of minimizing power loss in the system. This technique employs a hybrid approach that combines elements of immune algorithms, moth flame optimization, and evolutionary programming to achieve more accurate and efficient results. Two cases were considered in this study termed Case 1 and Case 2. Results in Case 1 discovered that the optimal sizing and placement of four Type III DGs exhibit the lowest power loss worth 2.74 kW (98.78 % reduction) for the 69-Bus RDS, while for the 118-Bus RDS the power loss is 319.89 kW (75.36 % reduction). In Case Study 2, the combination of DG Types I and III provided the highest power loss reduction. With one DG Type I and two DG Type III units installed, power loss was reduced by 97.15 % to 6.41 kW for the 69-Bus RDS and by 62.01 % to 493.21 kW for the 118-Bus RDS. The proposed IIMFEP managed to alleviate the setback experienced in the traditional EP, AIS and MFO which found to be stuck at local optimum. The IIMFEP method is compared to Moth Flame Optimization, Artificial Immune System and Evolutionary Programming and validated using the IEEE 69-Bus and 118-Bus Radial Distribution Systems, resulting in outstanding performance.