Optimal Sizing and Placement of Wind Farm in a Radial Distribution Network Considering Reliability, Operational, Economic and Environmental Factors

This paper proposes a new and comprehensive approach for optimal sizing and placement of a wind farm (WF) in a radial distribution network (RDN) while considering several factors associated with its reliability, operation, economics and environment impact. The consideration of the reliability aspect is essential to correctly assess the impacts of forced outages of wind turbines in the field. In this context, a sequential Monte Carlo simulation-based technique has been formulated to evaluate the performance of the WF with varying capacities at different locations in the RDN. Additionally, the capability of the WF to perform Volt-Var and Volt-Watt control has been capitalized on to provide voltage support to the grid in compliance with international standards (IEEE 1547-2018). Finally, a combination of Analytic Hierarchy Process and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution has been used to assess and determine the optimal size and location of the WF, based on a selected set of performance criteria, namely cumulative violations of the steady-state voltage range, cumulative losses in RDN, cumulative violations of the line thermal rating, levelized cost of energy, and reduction in carbon emission. The proposed approach has been validated considering different modes of voltage control on the standard 33-bus RDN system.