Maximising renewable hosting capacity in electricity networks
Abstract
The electricity network is undergoing significant changes in the transition to a low
carbon system. The growth of renewable distributed generation (DG) creates a
number of technical and economic challenges in the electricity network. While the
development of the smart grid promises alternative ways to manage network
constraints, their impact on the ability of the network to accommodate DG – the
‘hosting capacity’- is not fully understood. It is of significance for both DNOs and
DGs developers to quantify the hosting capacity according to given technical or
commercial objectives while subject to a set of predefined limits. The combinational
nature of the hosting capacity problem, together with the intermittent nature of
renewable generation and the complex actions of smart control systems, means
evaluation of hosting capacity requires appropriate optimisation techniques.
This thesis extends the knowledge of hosting capacity. Three specific but related
areas are examined to fill the gaps identified in existing knowledge. New evaluation
methods are developed that allow the study of hosting capacity (1) under different
curtailment priority rules, (2) with harmonic distortion limits, and (3) alongside
energy storage systems. These works together improve DG planning in two
directions: demonstrating the benefit provided by a range of smart grid solutions; and
evaluating extensive impacts to ensure compliance with all relevant planning
standards and grid codes. As an outcome, the methods developed can help both
DNOs and DG developers make sound and practical decisions, facilitating the
integration of renewable DG in a more cost-effective way.