Placement of Line Switches to Support Microgrid Operation in a Renewable Energy-Enhanced Power Distribution System

As utilities around the world are thriving toward more sustainable and clean power for their customers, penetration of renewable energy sources (RESs) into the distribution network has become obvious. Integration of local generation by RESs makes the distribution network active and unfolds the option for self-adequacy in the sections of the distribution system during emergencies and peak load hours. However, this islanded microgrid operation necessitates switches at suitable locations in the distribution network. Because of the need, this study highlights an interesting strategy to identify the boundary of multiple microgrids to deploy remotely controlled line switches (RCLSs) in renewable energy-enhanced radial distribution networks (RDNs). The stochastic generation of RESs is modeled and incorporated into the problem formulation. The boundary of the prospective microgrids is identified for seasonal variation of generation by RESs. The study ensures the highest level of self-adequacy with the maximum possible formation of microgrids. The boundaries of the microgrids are compiled in a set to identify the optimized number of RCLSs and their location to aid in microgrid operation for the entire year. The proposed approach has been tested on a standard 33-bus RDN to validate its efficacy.