Comparison of methods for reducing the complexity in determination of grid reinforcement demands

Abstract:
Due to the key energy policy of the energy transition (“Energiewende”) in Germany, a huge amount of decentralized energy resources have been installed in the German power system, especially in distribution grids. To ensure a reliable energy supply and to increase the hosting capacity, German distribution grids hence need to be properly reinforced. An important part during the grid planning process is to estimate the future transport demands. Therefore, worstcase scenarios using simultaneity factors are used by distribution system operators in classical practice. However, by using simultaneity factors, the correlations of different types of customers and generators may not be precisely and correctly represented, which may lead to overestimation of required grid reinforcement. In this paper, innovative methods using measurement data, as well as standard load and generation profiles are presented. These aim at precisely determining the scenarios to be applied during grid planning, while considering the temporal correlation of different types of customers and generators.