02 / Power systems

Distribution Feeder Load Flow and Protection Study

An OpenDSS study of a 12.47 kV radial feeder with 1.25 MW of distributed photovoltaic generation. The analysis covers bus voltages, feeder losses, three-phase fault currents, and preliminary protection coordination.

SOURCE→ BUS 1→ BUS 3→ PV→ BUS 5

12.47 kV Five-bus radial feeder

1.25 MW Distributed solar integration

62% Less feeder power loss in the solar case

Model

Built a 12.47 kV, five-bus radial feeder in OpenDSS with 3.4 MW of feeder demand and 1.25 MW of distributed photovoltaic generation.

Load-flow results

With solar generation in the model, feeder power losses fell from 42 kW to 16 kW and Bus 5 voltage rose from 0.976 to 0.984 per unit.

Feeder losses are power lost as electricity moves through the modeled distribution system. The solar case lost 26 kW less than the baseline case. Dividing 26 kW by the original 42 kW gives about 62%. These are simulated power losses at one operating condition, not measured results or an estimate of annual energy savings.

Protection study

Distribution Feeder Load Flow and Protection Study

Built a 12.47 kV, five-bus radial feeder in OpenDSS with 3.4 MW of feeder demand and 1.25 MW of distributed photovoltaic generation.

With solar generation in the model, feeder power losses fell from 42 kW to 16 kW and Bus 5 voltage rose from 0.976 to 0.984 per unit.

Evaluated three-phase fault currents from 11.34 kA at Bus 1 to 3.30 kA at Bus 5 and proposed a preliminary breaker-recloser-fuse coordination scheme.