Deployment of Renewable Embedded Generation and Unified Power Quality Conditioner in Distribution System using Firefly Algorithm

The efficiency and operation of current distribution systems have been enhanced by the insertion of renewable distributed generation (RDG). However, the placement of DG does not satisfy the network’s need for reactive power, which keeps the voltage of the buses at a level that maximizes the uncontrolled real and reactive variations of power systems. This paper proposed the optimal allocation of DG and Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC) simultaneously to improve the performance of an active distribution system. The most advanced custom power device is the UPQC which combined with the capability of shunt and series compensator features allows for voltage and current compensation in distribution systems. A suitable optimization method is needed to address the challenge of selecting the capacity and position of these compensators. The Firefly Algorithm (FA) is a promising solution to the challenges of multi-objective optimization. The intended objective is active and reactive power loss reduction while improving the voltage profile without violating any system constraints. The effectiveness of the proposed optimal allocation of DG/UPQC using the FA method was evaluated by comparing it to the allocation of the DG system only and the base case system scenarios, respectively. The results revealed a significant percentage reduction in active and reactive power losses, reaching 72.01% and 66.57% with the optimal DG/UPQC allocation combination, respectively. In comparison to the Artificial Bee Colony Optimization (ABC) method, the results revealed the FA method is more efficient regarding both convergence speed and solution quality. The MATLAB 2021b environment served as the platform for the simulation, and it was tested it using the IEEE 33-bus radial distribution system method.