Assessment of Distributed Generation Placement Based on Hosting Capacity in Distribution Grids

Due to the strong expansion of renewable energies, distribution grid operators are increasingly facing challenges with regard to the grid integration of these systems. The expansion of renewables such as wind turbines is usually uncoordinated and therefore carries the risk of economic losses. The aim of this work is to assess grid connections of large wind farms from the grid operator’s perspective using hosting capacity. For this purpose, an iterative procedure is developed within which evaluation parameters are derived by simulating individual requests and repeatedly calculating the hosting capacity on the basis of an optimal power flow model. For an exemplary 110 kV grid in northern Germany, an initial hosting capacity of 843.5 MW is determined, which can be reduced by up to 175 MW if the grid connection is unfavorable. Based on the results, it can be concluded that individual grid connections with high power demands, which initially place a heavy utilization on lines and transformers, have a particularly negative impact on hosting capacity.