OPTIMAL DISTRIBUTED GENERATION INTEGRATION PLANNING (CASE STUDY: SHIRE CITY POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM)

Abstract

This thesis examines the challenges of power distribution in Shire City, Tigray, Ethiopia, where rapid urban growth driven by industrial, commercial, and residential expansion has increased electricity demand. This rising demand is causing voltage degradation and higher power losses, raising significant stress on the existing infrastructure. The study forecasts future load requirements and explores the addition of renewable energy sources like solar and wind to optimize the distribution network, ensuring a sustainable and reliable power supply. The study uses advanced econometric methods to forecast future load requirements. The results show that peak load demand will rise from 17.29 MW in 2024 to 31.39 MW by 2043, driven by population and economic growth. This increase necessitates significant improvements to both generation and distribution infrastructure. The study further explores the integration of DG to mitigate power losses and improve voltage stability. Optimal distributed generation (DG) integration, as shown by the analysis, yields a significant 91% decrease in active and a 90.84% decrease in reactive power losses while simultaneously optimizing voltage profiles. Cost estimation for the 8.2 MW DG system, comprising photovoltaic and wind technologies, was found to be $3,233,880, with a return on investment expected in 3.77 years. This research demonstrates that integrating DG into the Shire City distribution network offers a viable solution to meet rising electricity demand, reduce power losses, and enhance system stability