BC Hydro's methodology for energy losses assessment in distribution systems

Abstract

Current utility business and regulatory environments impose new demands and constraints on the development, operation, and maintenance of distribution systems. There is increasing pressure to ensure that all aspects of distribution utility operations are appropriately and optimally managed. The strong interest in achieving efficiency targets related to energy conservation is encouraging utilities to incorporate and implement more rigorous investments plans for distribution losses reduction. For this reason, utilities need to understand the cause of the energy losses, the methodologies to assess them, and the measures to reduce them in a cost-effective manner. This paper presents a methodology for assessing technical and non-technical energy losses in distribution systems that has been successfully implemented at BC Hydro. It also discusses techniques to manage and reduce energy losses.