Optimal Planning with Technology Selection for Wind Power Plants in Power Distribution Networks

This paper proposes a comprehensive decision framework to optimally plan wind power plants (WPPs) with technology selection in the distribution network. The proposed framework aims to maximize the net present value (NPV) associated with the WPP investment over a given planning horizon for various bus locations. The proposed design accounts for various practical cost factors, historical data of wind speeds, and WPP installation restrictions due to territorial information, environmental considerations, and work constraints, in the decision making process of optimal planning and technology selection for WPP. The planning problem, which maximizes the NPV over the potential WPP installation locations, potential technologies, and the size of WPPs, is formulated as a constrained optimization problem. The proposed design is evaluated using case studies to test its concrete practices with a radial network of 33-bus distribution system.