A Computational Platform to Assess the Integration of Renewable Distributed Generation in Chile

Chile enjoys one of the largest solar irradiance levels globally. Although large-scale photovoltaic (PV) plants have flourished, the integration of medium-scale PV plants in medium-voltage (MV) distribution networks, only account for a quarter of Chile’s installed PV capacity. One of the main barriers for its deployment is the sluggish connection assessment process. To breach the gap, this paper presents a computational platform, VisionDERRED, that leverages the capabilities of open-source software Julia and OpenDSS, for the connection assessment of distributed generation (DG) projects to MV networks, following specific regulations from Chile. This contributes not only to automating the connection assessment process, but also by enabling finding the theoretical maximum admissible DG size per MV node. This allows building a nodal hosting capacity map, useful for project developers and policy makers. The capabilities of the platform are demonstrated in a real MV feeder case study in Osorno, Chile.