Technical–economic sustainability of premium power parks

• We complete a previous study on the technical performances of different PPPs.
• We calibrate the study on MV users sensitive to voltage dips and badly served.
• We evaluate and compare costs and benefits (reduction of PQ direct costs) of PPPs.
• The direct costs caused by PQ events are evaluated using original cost models.
• The results prospect applications of the PPP idea in the frame of microgrids.

This paper evaluates the economic sustainability of different premium power park (PPP) solutions – derived from two prototypes and a theoretical solution – and completes a previous technical analysis of the same PPP solutions. All of these are utility-provided solutions that improve the quality of the electricity delivered at medium voltage (MV) level.We calibrate the study on the potential customers of a PPP, which are MV users sensitive to power quality (PQ) events and badly served. As to PQ events, accidental interruptions and voltage dips are concerned. We evaluate the direct costs caused by PQ events through original and simple cost models developed using different approaches. Even though until today PPPs have not proved to be a winning idea, the results prospect possible future applications of this idea as a consequence of the increasing penetration of dispersed generation, maturation of renewables and developments of energy storage technologies.