Phase Load Balancing in Low Voltage Distribution Networks Using Metaheuristic Algorithms

In the Romanian electricity distribution systems, the industrial consumption has significantly reduced, while the residential demand is increasing. Small-scale Distributed Generation sources are beginning to be used in residential areas, and they are operated in networks designed decades ago. In the absence of optimized consumer allocation on the network’s phases, these developments can lead to high phase unbalances in low voltage distribution networks, with increased active power losses and poor voltage quality. This paper presents a balancing approach that uses a Genetic Algorithm with the aim of minimizing the active power losses over an interval of 24 hours. The method is tested in a real Romanian low voltage distribution network with Smart Metering load data.