Sharif Digital Repository

This paper proposes an approach to enhance the reliability regulation based on the relative performance. In the proposed approach, the distribution system feeders are clustered based on the parameters, which cannot be controlled by distribution companies. Afterward, a reliability incentive regulation is applied to each cluster so that the performance of each feeder is compared to its counterparts in the same cluster. The quality regulation is designed based on the reward-penalty mechanism, which penalizes feeders whose performance is worse than a benchmark and rewards those providing a performance higher than the benchmark. Then, the reward and penalty associated to the electric distribution... 

The main goal of this paper is to obtain the optimal Distributed Generation (DG) investments as well as purchase additional power from Transmission Companies (TRANSCOs). To do this, a new mathematical modeling and a new software package interfacing between the two powerful softwares MATLAB and GAMS are used. The proposed model optimizes total system planning costs and consequently costumers' bills, reduces total system losses, guaranties system voltage profiles and prevents feeders' congestion. This new model and software package have been executed in two different cases depending if system voltage profiles are in their permissible margin or not; in each case, three different scenarios are... 

The communication between control centers, contact centers, field technicians and customers have been changed in previous decade and traditional analogue communication devices have been being replaced by integrated digital systems. Nowadays communication and computer network substructures are vital to distribution companies because communication system interruption can disrupt majority of services. Therefore, it is necessary to control any situation which can threat communication system. Alborz province power distribution company uses data mining methods like classification and clustering in addition to quantitative statistics for analyzing historical fault data. The result of this study is... 

Time varying prices by motivating customers to reduce their consumption in peak periods propel the electricity industry towards a higher efficiency compared to that of common flat prices. Focusing on time-of-use (TOU) sale prices, this paper establishes a stochastic model for the medium-term decision making problem faced by a distribution company (DisCo). The developed model deals with the DisCo's decisions on the level of involvement in forward contracts and in the pool as well as the sale prices offered to customers. The demand response to TOU prices is captured using a price elasticity matrix (PEM). The objective is to maximize the DisCo's profit while the exposure risk imposed by... 

This paper introduces a new framework included mathematical model and a new software package interfacing two powerful softwares (MATLAB and GAMS) for obtaining the optimal distributed generation (DG) capacity sizing and sitting investments with capability to simulate large distribution system planning. The proposed optimization model allows minimizing total system planning costs for DG investment, DG operation and maintenance, purchase of power by the distribution companies (DISCOs) from transmission companies (TRANSCOs) and system power losses. The proposed model provides not only the DG size and site but also the new market price as well. Three different cases depending on system... 

Due to the huge amount of resources needed for implementing distribution automation systems (DAS), distribution companies (DISCOs) should develop long term plans for this project. Similarly, DISCOs have network capacity expansion (NCX) plans which specify the scheme of constructing the feeders and substations. Since considering DAS may lead to more efficient NCX plans, the planner should revise the NCX plan through the DAS planning. On the other hand, for DAS planning it is necessary to consider a NCX plan as a platform to determine the time and location for installation of automation equipment. Therefore the planner should simultaneously work on two plans, each of them affects the other. To... 

Due to the large amount of resources needed for implementing distribution automation systems (DASs), distribution companies (DISCOs) should develop long term plans for this project. Similarly, DISCOs have network capacity expansion (NCX) plans which specify the scheme of constructing the feeders and substations. Since considering DAS may lead to more efficient NCX plans, the planner should revise the NCX plan through the DAS planning. On the other hand, for DAS planning it is necessary to consider a NCX plan as a platform to determine the time and location for installation of automation equipment. Therefore the planner should simultaneously work on two plans, each of them affects the other.... 

Electrification involves many activities that have detrimental impacts on environment. Over the last few years, many studies have been conducted to understand, estimate and mitigate the carbon footprint of electricity distribution but other environmental aspects of electrification remain almost neglected. In recent years, electricity distribution companies have adopted many waste management techniques to reduce the amount of waste generated in their key processes. However, the causes of waste and the necessary corrective actions to alleviate the waste generation in electricity distribution have not been studies in an integrated framework. In current study, which was conducted to fill this... 

Real-time electricity prices along with demand-side potentials can provide distribution companies (DisCos) with considerable financial and technical benefits compared to the conventional flat prices. This paper incorporates demand response in DisCos' short-term decision model in a real-time pricing (RTP) environment wherein consumers are charged based on hourly varying prices. Besides the hourly RTP sale prices, the established model deals with other DisCo's short-term activities including hourly purchases from the grid, commitment of distributed generation (DG) units, dispatch of shunt compensators, and invocation of load curtailments (LCs). The stochastic nature of wholesale market prices... 

This paper introduces a new fuzzy-based design procedure for more efficient application of reward-penalty schemes in distribution sector. To achieve a fair as well as applicable regulation scheme, the fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm is employed to efficiently determine the similarity among distribution companies. As setting procedure of the reward-penalty scheme parameters can significantly affect the income of different companies, a new procedure based on the membership degrees obtained from the fuzzy C-means algorithm is proposed to fairly determine these parameters for each electricity distribution company. Some numerical studies are performed on the Iranian electricity distribution... 

Distribution systems management is becoming an increasingly complicated issue due to the introduction of new technologies, new energy trading strategies and a new deregulated environment. In the new deregulated energy market and considering the incentives coming from the technical and economic fields, it is reasonable to consider Distributed Generation (DG) as a viable option for systems reinforcement in competition with voltage regulator devices, to solve the lacking electric power supply problem and meet the load growth requirements with a reasonable price as well as the system power quality problems. The problem of optimal placement and size is formulated in two stages; minimization of... 

Distributed generation (DG) units are increasingly installed in the power systems. Distribution companies (DisCo) can opt to purchase the electricity from DG in an energy purchase contract to supply the customer demand and reduce energy loss. This paper proposes a framework for optimal contract pricing of independent dispatchable DG units considering competition among them. While DG units tend to increase their profit from the energy purchase contract, DisCo minimizes the demand supply cost. Multi-leader follower game theory concept is used to analyze the situation in which competing DG units offer the energy price to DisCo and DisCo determines the DG generation. A bi-level approach is used... 

Implementing automation system in distribution networks needs a huge investment that usually cannot be funded entirely in a short period of time. So distribution companies (DISCOs) should develop long-term plans to equip their network with automation technologies as far as economically justifiable. Aiming to provide a methodology for development such plans, this paper presents a novel multistage planning model for implementing distribution automation system considering all main hardware and software infrastructures. The proposed method optimally determines the type, location, and time in which an equipment or infrastructure must be added to network considering the network capacity expansion... 

Time-varying electricity rates enable demand-side potentials, which provide an opportunity for distribution companies (DisCos) to hedge against the financial risk imposed by volatile spot market prices and uncertain customers' load. In particular, time-varying rates can be effective alternatives for at least a portion of costly forward contracts. This paper establishes a stochastic framework to determine optimal forward market purchases under time-varying rates. Various electricity rating strategies with different time intervals covering flat, time-of-use, and real-time pricing schemes are considered. The objective of the framework is to maximize DisCo's expected profit while the exposure... 

Distribution companies are pressurized into investing in many projects for ensuring customer satisfaction and increasing their profitability. There are a lot of feasible projects that may help companies to improve their services, but resources for accomplishing them are limited. Therefore, financial subjects are crucially important for related decision making and budget allocation is a bone of contention between different departments of companies. Project net present value (NPV), which depends on investment, expected annual profit, interest rate and inflation rate, is realistic criterion of project economic value. Interest rate and inflation rate are not predefined coefficients.... 

Distribution companies try to meet different goals such as increasing profitability, reducing investment and improving reliability indices. Therefore, distribution network planning has converted into complex multi-objective optimization problems. Mathematicians and operation research experts have developed many methods which can be used for solving these problems. Despite all efforts to develop applicable approaches for these problems, there is still no general consensus on project selection policy. Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each network optimization strategy selection in pragmatic manner is the objective of current research. In this paper, many methods used in network...