A Review of Non-Wires Alternatives to Distribution Network Reinforcements: Comparison of Utility and Investor Perspectives

In the coming years, increasing electrification, the widespread use of electric vehicles, and the goals of reducing pollutant emissions and promoting clean energy will create new challenges for power grids, such as the appearance of voltage problems or overloads. Non-Wires Alternatives (NWAs) are increasingly being considered to address these issues and defer investment in grid upgrades. These NWAs rely on demand management and distributed resources at strategic locations to address these issues. Methods for the integration and promotion of the use of these solutions are essential for the expansion of their actual use. This paper provides an overview of the state of the art in NWAs, identifying which methods focus on the Distribution System Operator (DSO) perspective by solving problems only, and which methods consider key issues for investors, such as cost effectiveness and maximizing renewable energy integration. In addition, a comparison between the two perspectives on the CIGRE medium-voltage benchmark is made and key results are presented and discussed.