A Linear Method for Determining the Hosting Capacity of Radial Distribution Systems

Steady state over-voltage is a bottleneck in distribution networks with high penetration of distributed generation (DG). This paper proposes a novel method based on linear programming (LP) to determine a very good approximation of the maximum DG penetration level in radial distribution networks. First, an analytical expression for maximum penetration level of one DG unit in a feeder is obtained. Then the feasible region for multiple DG units in a feeder is found. The proposed model is tested on two different grids, one of which is an agricultural feeder in Australia. The maximum penetration calculated by this model is compared with a comprehensive power flow method. The results confirm the accuracy of the proposed model. Finally, it is shown that increasing the number of DGs in a feeder may not increase the maximum penetration level.