Integration of storage and PV in the DSO power losses cost assessment method for LV planning studies

Abstract

The distribution system operator (DSO) makes investment decisions in the network by computing the capital and operational expenditures (CAPEX and OPEX). The Joule losses, which are integrated into the OPEX, depend on the power flows in the lines at a given time. The method used by the DSO to estimate the cost of the annual Joule losses is empirical and based on an abacus built with two hypotheses: only loads are connected, to a balanced distribution network. These assumptions made sense in balanced medium voltage power systems with little or no local generation. However, at the low voltage level, a strong development ofphotovoltaicgeneration and storage devices is expected, notably affecting the Joule losses. Planners therefore need to ensure that the used model is still valid in these new conditions in order to make the most relevant technical choices. This paper proposes an expression to fit the current DSO abacus and then integrate the storage, the PV production and the unbalance of the network.