A Cost-Effective Method for Capacitor Placement Considering Volt-Var Optimization and Voltage Sags

This paper introduces a new approach to optimizing capacitor placement and voltage control in electrical networks, offering a cost-effective solution to a long-standing challenge of capacitor placement. The approach is validated on the IEEE 33bus network in the presence of PV systems. The proposed method reduces power losses, capital costs of capacitors, and voltage deviations while improving voltage levels at sensitive load locations. It also can determine the appropriate capacitor topology in the presence of harmonics by calculating duty limits, addressing capacitor overloading issues caused harmonics. The findings demonstrate that the capital costs associated with capacitor placement can be effectively reduced through Volt-Var optimization. By managing the output power of PV systems, VoltVar optimization reduces the requirement for additional reactive power compensation, resulting in lowering capital costs of capacitors. This technique reduced power losses by 31% without PV systems and 29% with PV systems. The method also improved voltage at sensitive load locations which are prone to financial losses caused by voltage sags and enhanced the voltage profiles, leading to more reliable and stable electrical systems.