Adaptive Optimization to Enhance Operational benefits of Utility-scale BESS and PV for MV Dubai Distribution Network

Distribution networks are undergoing a massive transition due to the continuously increasing penetration of renewable energy resources. The presence of renewables, like Photovoltaic systems (PVs) and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), in the conventional passive distribution networks provides opportunities to utilize these for improving the distribution network operation. For example, BESS can reduce the intermittency in PV output, peak shaving, congestion management, and improvement in voltage profile. This paper investigates the operational benefits of BESS and PV for additional voltage support to legacy voltage control (On-load Tap-changers) in a real MV distribution network considering local and centralized voltage control approaches. The analyzed network is part of Dubai distribution network and consists of 80 nodes at 33 kV and 11 kV voltage levels. In the local voltage control approach, the impact of BESS and PV inverters are analyzed when operated in constant power factor mode. Since the local voltage control approaches can often lead to sub-optimal utilization of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) for voltage control, this work also considers centralized adaptive voltage control to maximize the DER support. Detailed simulation-based analysis and comparison of the performance of voltage control schemes is performed using MATLAB and OpenDSS simulations with actual measurement data.