Abstract
Distribution power system networks in South Africa are transitioning from passive to active due to the significant integration of distributed energy resources and increased prosumers. Such a transition is anticipated to result in several potential impacts concerning the practices employed in the planning of the distribution power system network, as indicated in the literature.
Distribution network planners, who are responsible for the planning of the distribution power system network, will therefore be required to be made aware of these potential impacts in the context of their traditionally employed practices, and to have approaches available to adequately plan the future distribution power system. This research aims to determine what the impacts of active distribution networks are on traditionally employed distribution network planning practices, including the determination of employed practices to manage and support the planning of active distribution power system networks. This research also aims to provide awareness of and insight into the potential improvement of distribution power system planning practices to distribution network planning practitioners and researchers in both local and global electricity utilities which are currently undergoing, or are anticipated to undergo, a transition of their networks from being predominantly passive to being active.
The research study was performed through an in-depth literature review, inclusive of descriptive research through a quantitative survey disseminated amongst distribution network planning practitioners in a South African electricity utility. The literature review revealed several impacts on traditional practices under each of the employed distribution network planning activities in the planning process, with each one being confirmed by the descriptive research study. The impact levels of active distribution networks on traditionally employed distribution network planning practices were indicated to be moderate to significant.
The literature review also determined several recommended practices for the planning of active distribution power system networks, with the descriptive research study confirming the employment of such practices. The results from the descriptive research study indicated that the employment of such recommended practices amongst distribution network planning practitioners in South Africa were small to some extent. Opportunities to readily transition some of the traditional practices to active distribution network planning practices such as leveraging existing experience and process adaptations do, however, exist.
iii
KEYWORDS: Distribution network planning, distributed energy resources, traditional planning practices, impacts, passive distribution network, active distribution network