Power quality monitor locations in real medium voltage distribution network

The deregulation of electricity markets has led to electricity being treated as a commodity, requiring adherence to quality standards. In the EU, the voltage quality standard EN 50160 mandates that Distribution System Operators (DSOs) ensure electricity meets specific technical parameters. To monitor compliance with this standard, many DSOs install power quality monitors in their networks. Public Electric Utility of Bosnia and Herzegovina d.d. – Sarajevo has initiated a power quality monitoring project, with the first phase focused on defining monitor locations. This paper applies the previously published optimal placement methodology of power quality monitors to the real medium voltage network in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. While the original methodology assessed four voltage quality parameters—flicker, harmonic voltages, voltage unbalance, and voltage dips—this study narrows the focus to voltage flicker due to resource constraints and the limited occurrence of other power quality issues. The methodology is applied using measurements from six power quality monitors installed in the network. The network model is developed in DIgSILENT PowerFactory while MATLAB was used for flicker calculations. The result of this methodology shows that one power quality monitor is needed for effective monitoring of voltage flicker in the analysed network.