Benefits of Allocation Factor Pseudo-Measurements on AF-WLS Distribution Grid Monitoring

The monitoring of distribution grids is an increasingly challenging task that requires the design of ad hoc state estimation tools. The Allocation Factor-based WLS (AF-WLS) has been recently proposed as a promising solution to this problem. It can estimate the state of the grid also in presence of a very limited number of measurements, in scenarios that are typically considered as unobservable. This is achieved thanks to the definition of allocation factors associated to different clusters of customers, which are introduced into the estimation model as state variables to be estimated. These allocation factors represent the operating point of the customers of each cluster in per unit with respect to their rated power. In practical scenarios, forecasts about the expected operation of specific clusters may be often available. These could be used as equivalent pseudo-measurements in the AF-WLS estimator. This paper presents the integration of these pseudo-measurements into the AF-WLS model and shows their benefits on the estimator performance.