Power Prioritization and Load Shedding in an Island with RESs Using ABC Algorithm

Abstract

The main aim of a power utility company is to supply quality and uninterrupted power to customers. This becomes a growing challenge as the continued increase in population calls for proportional increase in power supply to additional loads. If not well planned, this steady increase in power demand can lead to voltage collapse and eventual power blackouts. In instances where power demand exceeds generation within islanded microgrid or due to an occurrence of a contingency, optimum load shedding should be put in place so as to enhance system security and stability of the power system. Load shedding is traditionally done based on undervoltage measurements or underfrequency measurements of a given section of the grid. However, when compared with conventional methods, metaheuristic algorithms perform better in accurate determination of optimal amount of load to be shed during a contingency or undersupply situations. In this study, an islanded microgrid with high penetration of Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) is analyzed, and then Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm is applied for optimal load shedding. The results are then compared with those of Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and GA-PSO hybrid. Both generation and overload contingencies are considered on a standard IEEE 30-bus system on a MATLAB platform. Different buses are assigned priority indices which forms the basis of the determination of which loads and what amount of load to shed at any particular time.