Fairness in distribution network management and cost allocation

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The rapid rise of PV installations in distribution networks where network capacity is already fully exploited, has triggered some detrimental impacts on the network operation and other customers. These effects risk being replicated with the growth of other customer-owned distributed energy resources (DER), such as residential batteries and electric vehicles. For this reason, distribution network service providers (DNSP) have begun to mandate connection codes, such as inverter Volt/Var control (VVC) and/or PV active power curtailment (APC), to mitigate the resulting network problems. Although this helps to manage the network state, it can cause an unfair amount of network support, to be sourced from some DER more than others. In this context, the presentation will discuss techno-economic considerations of fairness in distribution network management and cost allocation, in three ways: (i) the unavoidable inefficiency and inequity of customer-driven investment in PV systems; (ii) fair distribution network capital cost allocation; and (iii) a distributed optimal power flow method for fair DER coordination with VVC and APC inverter control modes.

About the speaker

Dr Archie Chapman is Senior Lecturer in the School of IT and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland, Australia. His work focuses on the use of distributed energy resources, such as batteries and flexible loads, to provide power network and system services, while making best use of legacy infrastructure. His expertise is in optimization and control of large distributed systems, using methods from game theory and artificial intelligence.