Incorporating load variation and variable wind generation in service restoration plans for distribution systems

• A restoration method is proposed considering load variations and priorities.
• The restoration plan maximizes restored loads and minimizes switching operations.
• The impact of the wind DG units on the proposed restoration plans is examined.
• The effect of the switches’ types on the proposed restoration plans is tested.

A service restoration process is achieved through the switching actions of the sectionalizing and tie switches in distribution feeders. After the faults have been located and isolated, restoration plans are applied in order to minimize the de-energized consumer load and the number of switching operations. All of these objectives are converted to monetary costs, which are then added together into a global objective. The solution to the problem, which is based on a genetic algorithm, is then aimed at achieving the minimum cost. In this work, numerous practical aspects related to service restoration have been considered, such as variations in the load and the priorities of the customers, price discounts for in-service customers based on their participation in a load-curtailment scheme that permits other customers to be supplied, the presence of manual and automated switches, and the incorporation of distributed generation (dispatchable and wind-based DG units) in the restoration process. The constraints involved include voltage limits, line current limits, and radial topology.