Volt-VAR control for distribution networks with high penetration of DGs: An overview

Abstract

Continuously improving the ability to accept distributed renewable energies is the trend of future grid development, and a large number of papers have been published in recent years to study the problem of Volt-VAR control (VVC) for distribution networks with high penetration of distributed generations. This paper summarizes the relevant modeling and solution methods for VVC problems, mainly including VVC based on multiple time scales, hierarchical partitioning, multi-stage and network reconstruction, in conjunction with the operational characteristics of distribution networks containing distributed renewable energies; meanwhile, it analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of traditional optimization methods, heuristic intelligent algorithms and random variable processing methods used to solve VVC problems, and then introduces the application of model-free deep reinforcement learning as a latest decision method in VVC of distribution networks. Most of the models and methods compiled in this article are from the research results of the last three years and have some reference value.