Reliability Enhancement of LV Rural Networks using Smart Grid Technologies

This paper analyses the effect of new smart grid technologies (SGTs) on the reliability indices typically specified by distribution network operators in low-voltage rural distribution systems. Rural areas generally denoted as “thinly-populated”, are to a large extent neglected in the anticipated transformation of existing networks into the future smart grid. An innovative Monte Carlo simulation technique is refined in this analysis to model the stochastic failure rates of power components over a specific time period, which are then applied to network load flow analysis to assess the quality of supply enhancement of a modelled rural distribution network. The proposed method enables much faster and more refined reliability studies, allowing for larger data sets to capture the inherent uncertainty from the new SGTs. Simulation results providing base case reliability indices, and the addition of SGTs accumulated from models in previous works, provide scenarios used for comparison into SGT-effectiveness.