Placement, Sizing, and Dispatch Scheme to Maximize the Benefits of Dynamic VAR Compensators on Distribution Systems with High PV Penetration

Increased levels of penetration of solar photovoltaic systems (PVs) in distribution systems can significantly impact their operations, introducing issues like voltage violations and excessive regulator operations. Power-electronics-based Dynamic VAR Compensators (DVCs) have emerged as an effective solution to remediate the issues caused by PV. This paper evaluates the potential benefits of DVCs and proposes a methodology for simultaneously determining the optimal size, placement, and dispatch of a given number of DVCs on a distribution feeder; thus, maximizing their effectiveness. The proposed method consists of a Pareto-genetic algorithm based multi-objective optimization methodology, consisting of a novel approach to identify the best solution from a set of Pareto optimal solutions. A case study is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. The results indicate that the typically used Volt-VAR curve may not yield the best benefits.