Techno-Economic Analysis of Rooftop PVs in Low Voltage Distribution Systems for Rural Electrification: A Case Study in Cambodia

This paper aims to integrate rooftop PVs into optimal low voltage (LV) distribution systems for rural electrification. Firstly, a radial topology with phase balancing is proposed; this radial topology is based on the shortest path (SP) algorithm, and the phase balancing with two methods (i.e., pole balancing-PB and load balancing-LB) is provided by the Descending order of First-Fit Bin Packing (D-FFBP) algorithm. Next, the maximum capacity of rooftop PV in different radial topologies is studied; two scenarios of tariff schemes (i.e., with/without sell-back price) for electricity excess of the rooftop PVs are proposed. Net present cost (NPC) comprises capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) over the planning study of 30 years, which is applied to evaluate the topologies and rooftop PV penetration. To validate the proposed method, the radial LV distribution test system, in Batheay district, Kampong Cham province, Cambodia is selected to be a case study. The modeling and simulation results perform and confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method for a final decision, particularly for designers and operators in Cambodia.