A Genetic Algorithm Approach to Optimal Sizing and Placement of Distributed Generation on Nigerian Radial Feeders

Mitigating power loss and voltage profile problems on radial distribution networks has been a major challenge to distribution system operators. While deployment of distributed generation, as compensators, has made a suitable solution option, optimum placement and sizing of the compensators has been a concern and it has thus been receiving great attention. Meta-heuristic algorithms have been found efficacious in this respect, yet the use of the algorithms in addressing problems of radial feeders is still comparatively low in Nigeria where analytical and numerical programming methods are common. Hence; the use of genetic algorithm to site and size distributed generator for real-time power loss reduction and voltage profile improvement on the Nigerian secondary distribution networks is presented. Backward-forward sweep load flow analysis, together with loss sensitivity factor, is deployed to identify the buses suitable for the installation of the distributed generation, while the algorithm is employed in estimating the optimum size. This approach is tested on the standard IEEE 15-bus system and validated using a Nigerian 11 kV feeder. The result obtained on the IEEE test system shows 183 kW loss using the compensator, as compared to 436 kW loss without the compensator; while on the Nigerian network the loss with the compensator was 4.99 kW, in comparison with no-compensation loss of 10.47kW. By the approach of this study, real power loss on the Nigerian feeder decreased by 52.3% together with energy cost reduction from N658,789.12 to N314,227.38. Likewise the minimum bus voltage magnitude and the voltage stability index of the network are improved to acceptable limits. This approach is therefore recommended as capable of strengthening the performance of the Nigerian radial distribution system.