Integrated Volt/Var Control and Conservation Voltage Reduction in Unbalanced Distribution Networks Considering Smart PV Inverter Control Using Equilibrium Optimizer Algorithm

This paper introduces a new method for integrated Volt/Var control and Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR) in unbalanced power distribution networks considering high penetration of PV generation. The mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) based Volt/Var-CVR problem is solved using Equilibrium Optimizer (EO) algorithm. The method coordinates the use of smart PV inverters along with voltage regulating equipment including voltage regulators (VRs) and on-load tap changers (OLTCs). The objective of the study is to improve energy conservation and minimize busses voltage deviations and reduce the legacy device operations through implementing the Volt/Var control mode of smart PV inverters in the IEEE 34-bus case study system. The proposed model uses COM interface to make an interaction between OpenDSS and MATLAB programs to find the optimum solution of the Volt/Var-CVR problem. Simulation results authenticate the efficacy of the proposed method and demonstrate a considerable increase in the energy saving and power loss reduction.