A Comprehensive Method for Expansion Planning of Active Distribution System Considering Reliability Assessment

Today the application of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) in Distribution System expansion planning (DNEP) problems is more crucial than before. Despite of advantages, the presence of the resources considering Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) and Dispatchable Generation (DG) units in the distribution System expansion planning problems, brings more challenges, especially in reliability characteristics. This paper proposes a new distribution network expansion planning model embedded with a novel reliability assessment approach for Active Distribution Networks (ADNs). The proposed method aims to determine the optimal location and capacity of the new generation and distribution assets, responsible for providing power, in both the normal operation and contingency conditions. The load forecast significantly affects the results of the distribution network expansion planning. The K-means clustering method is used to address the uncertainty of load growth in the planning horizon which is coordinated with a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) optimization model. The proposed model is applied to the IEEE 33 bus test case, to guarantee its technical and economical effectiveness. The results verify that this model is cost-effective and can increase the robustness of the distribution network compared with recent similar works.