Incentive-based voltage regulation in distribution networks

This paper considers distribution networks featuring distributed energy resources, and designs an incentive-based algorithm that allows the network operator and the end-customers to pursue given operational and economic objectives, while concurrently ensuring that voltages are within prescribed limits. This social-welfare maximization problem is challenging due to the non-convexity. We first reformulate the problem as a convex task together with an incentive signal design strategy, and then propose a distributed algorithm for solving the reformulated problem. By doing so, we are able to achieve the solution of the original non-convex problem without exposure of any private information between end-customers and network operator. Stability of the proposed schemes is analytically established and numerically corroborated.