Study of Grid-Connected PV System for a Low Voltage Distribution System: A Case Study of Cambodia

Abstract

The low voltage (LV) distribution systems are extended year by year due to the increase in energy demand. To overcome this issue, distribution system utilities have been focusing on designing and operating an appropriate distribution system with minimum capital and operational expenditure for supplying electricity to users. This article compares different algorithms to design an LVAC distribution system in a rural area, which focuses on minimizing the total length of lines and the power losses and balancing the loads among the three phases including the economic evaluation of the grid-connected PV system. Firstly, the shortest path (SP) algorithm is established to search for the minimization of the conductor used. Secondly, three different algorithms which are repeated phase sequence (RPABC), first fit bin packing (FFBP), and mixed-integer quadratic programming (MIQP) algorithms are developed to balance the load and minimize power losses. Next, a comparative result of three different algorithms is provided. Finally, the techno-economic analysis of the grid-connected PV system with different electricity tariffs with hybrid optimization of multiple energy resources (HOMER) software is studied in the planning period. To validate a proposed method, the 129-buses low voltage distribution in a rural village, in Cambodia, is tested. The simulation result confirms the optimal solution of the MIQP algorithm and PV system integration in designing a distribution system in a particular case study.