Optimizing the voltage measurements location for the management of active distribution networks

By increasing the penetration of distributed generators connected to existing radial medium voltage distribution systems, DSOs have to leave traditional passive management philosophies and adopt innovative management strategies. In particular the control of active networks by means of a distribution management system requires the adoption of state estimation algorithms for the real time identification of the overall system operational state. The costs for a widespread on-line remote measurement system prompts for a reduced number of voltage measurements optimally located within the network. To this aim a procedure based on a genetic algorithm and a suitable parameter here denoted as "variance moment" has been developed and tested.