In the context of a pilot project, the Lugaggia Innovation Community (LIC), we address the problem of non-intrusive load monitoring for the purpose of demand side management on low voltage grids in presence of distributed power generation (photovoltaic). From the power readings of smart meters, we estimate the photovoltaic production and detect the activation of major loads (heatpumps and domestic water heaters). Experiments, conducted with real data and in silico, show that exploiting meter readings only, we can estimate PV production with MAPE ranging from 4.6% (best case) to 41.9% (worst case). Even with non negligible photovoltaic production estimation errors, the proposed method is capable of detecting the activation of heatpumps and domestic water heaters.
The scientific community is active in developing new models and methods to help reach the ambitious target set by UN SDGs7: universal access to electricity by 2030. Efficient planning of distribution networks is a complex and multivariate task, which is usually split into multiple subproblems to reduce the number of variables. The present work addresses the problem of optimal secondary substation siting, by means of different clustering techniques. In contrast with the majority of approaches found in the literature, which are devoted to the planning of MV grids in already electrified urban areas, this work focuses on greenfield planning in rural areas. K-means algorithm, hierarchical agglomerative clustering, and a method based on optimal weighted tree partitioning are adapted to the problem and run on two real case studies, with different population densities. The algorithms are compared in terms of different indicators useful to assess the feasibility of the solutions found. The algorithms have proven to be effective in addressing some of the crucial aspects of substations siting and to constitute relevant improvements to the classic K-means approach found in the literature. However, it is found that it is very challenging to conjugate an acceptable geographical span of the area served by a single substation with a substation power high enough to justify the installation when the load density is very low. In other words, well known standards adopted in industrialized countries do not fit with developing countries’ requirements.
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