An approach for simultaneous distribution, sub-transmission, and transmission networks expansion planning

Sub-transmission network, as an intermediate grid between the distribution and transmission systems, receives the electric energy from the transmission network at extra high voltage levels, and delivers it to the distribution network at medium or low voltage levels. The adequate design and operation of sub-transmission system will lead to an efficient design of transmission network from the technical and economic viewpoints on one hand and the adequacy of power delivery to the distribution loads on the other hand. Therefore, the design optimality of these three networks is highly dependent on each other. However, as the simultaneous design of distribution, sub-transmission, and transmission systems is highly complicated, very few researches have tried to model and solve such a difficult problem. In this paper, a new approach has been developed for simultaneous distribution, sub-transmission, and transmission networks expansion planning. The proposed approach has been formulated as an optimization problem where an efficient and improved genetic algorithm (GA) is employed to solve such a complex problem. The utilized GA has been equipped with different modifying operators in order to make sure of its appropriate performance in obtaining useful and optimal solutions for the coordinated planning problem. The conducted approach has been implemented on a real network of Zanjan Regional Electrical Company (ZREC), and the results are compared with those of conventional method, i.e. separate expansion planning of these networks. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the conducted approach. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.