Investigating the Efficacy of Transmission-level Stochastic Hosting Capacity Assessment Methods

The stochastic and intermittent nature of renewable energy technologies introduces uncertainties in network operations and planning. This makes the integration of these technologies a complex challenge for network planners and operators, who aim to integrate renewables without compromising network security. To inform decision-making regarding the integration of utility scale renewables, this study investigates the efficacy of three methods for evaluating transmission-level hosting capacity amid uncertainties. A comparative analysis evaluates the efficacy of deterministic, stochastic and optimisation-based hosting capacity assessment methods. The findings of this analysis reveal that all evaluated solutions overestimate system hosting capacity and present a high implementation risk, suggesting that risk-aware assessment approaches are required to reliably assess hosting capacity on a transmission-level amid uncertainty. Additionally, due to observed occurrences of total system failure due to voltage collapse, the findings of this study further indicate the need for supporting analyses in addition to power flow simulations to address system stability concerns. Future research will aim to develop risk-aware formulations of the investigated optimisation-based approach to better evaluate the hosting capacity of transmission systems. The findings of this study guide the development of reliable hosting capacity evaluation frameworks that facilitate the risk-aware integration of utility scale renewables onto transmission systems.