Insights from Tracking the Loss Sensitivity with Respect to the Net Load in Distribution Networks

During the last years, the increase of the energy price and the growing concerns about the climate change effects led to a large installation of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), which will play a crucial role in shaping the future electricity system. The penetration of renewable energy sources, the transformation from consumers to prosumers, and the diffusion of electric vehicles and battery storage systems into distribution networks, may have negative impacts on grid losses. The possible increase in the grid losses ends up in wasting of resources and imposes extra costs on utilities and users. The sensitivity of losses with respect to the loads has to be investigated in presence of DERs. This paper discusses the appropriateness of loss sensitivity analysis in distribution grids by determining the loss sensitivities starting from the equations of loss allocation to the loads in the grid nodes. The loss sensitivities are expressed based on the node current changes in the radial distribution network. Some tutorial case studies are proposed to investigate the sensitivity in case of reverse power flow in the grid with DERs in balanced and unbalanced distribution networks. The results of the loss sensitivity analysis provide insights on the location of distributed generators to mitigate the losses and the reverse power flow in the grid.