Siting and sizing of distributed generation for optimal microgrid architecture

This paper presents a method for optimally siting and sizing distributed generation (DG) units in a microgrid. The optimization is based on stipulated reliability criteria. Power system planning based on reliability gives rise to efficient architectures which can meet the consumer requirements with minimum system upgrade. This paper develops a technique for determining the optimal location and sizes of DG units in a microgrid, given the network configuration and the heat and power requirements at various load points. The method is based on simulated annealing. Thermal output and utilization of combined heat and power (CHP) units are considered. The paper presents the development and implementation of the method, and demonstrates its application on a six bus test system.