A Simple Approach for Loss Allocation in Radial Distribution Systems

Transmission conductors offer resistance and reactance. Loss in the power system is obvious in the process of meeting the load demand due to the resistance offered by the conductors. For a restructured system, which is operated with market-based electricity prices, a reasonable apportionment of losses between the consumers is desirable. This should be done in line with the usage of electrical power by them in an accurate manner. An effortless and lucid method to apportion the losses to various consumers or load points in the system is presented in this work. The proposed method is a straightforward and computationally efficient technique to allocate active power losses in radial distribution systems. Unlike complex iterative methods, the approach distributes losses proportionally among consumers based on their real power contributions and network topology. Primitive bus-branch matrices of load flow studies are used in the proposed approach for loss allocation. This method eases and reduces the complexity of solving and analyzing the problem, unlike the available traditional methods in the literature. The method ensures fairness by considering branch currents and nodal voltages while avoiding the need for exhaustive power flow analysis. Case studies on standard test systems (e.g., 9-bus, 15-bus and 33-bus radial distribution systems) validate the method’s accuracy and practicality for utilities. A comparative evaluation between the proposed and Pro-rata method has been performed in this work to project the effectiveness of the approach.