Role of Voltage Control Devices in Low Voltage State Estimation Process

Abstract

Megatrends, such as the proliferation of distributed generation, electrification, and the appearance of aggregator companies, put the low voltage power grids under intense pressure. Since the network infrastructure developments cannot keep up with the trends, distribution system operators turned to alternative solutions. Smart grid assets, such as on-load tap-changing distribution transformers or serial low voltage regulators, are promising solutions. However, the energy transition cannot be handled with the network expansive on the distribution level. Control centers are predicted to expand to this voltage level in the near future, and distribution system state estimation could be an enabler of all functionalities. On the low voltage level, data scarcity is a great challenge in observability; therefore, research must focus on the creation of pseudomeasurements and integration of available data sources. This paper examines the inclusion of smart assets from the conceptual point to the application on two sites, based on data from operational environments, both with a pseudomeasurement and an integrated metering point approach. The results showed that integrating smart assets could considerably mitigate voltage fluctuations, and reduce estimation errors by two magnitudes on the low voltage network.