A Method for Evaluating Volt-VAR Optimization Field Demonstrations

• Published in: IEEE transactions on smart grid Vol. 5; no. 4; pp. 1696 - 1703
• Main Authors: Schneider, K. P., Weaver, T. F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Piscataway IEEE 01-07-2014; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Distribution system analysis; Energy consumption; Optimization; power system control; Reactive power; Regulators; Voltage control; Voltage measurement; voltage optimization; Water heating
• ISSN: 1949-3053; 1949-3061
• DOI: 10.1109/TSG.2014.2308872

In a regulated business environment, a utility must be able to validate that deployed technologies provide quantifiable benefits to the end-use customers. While there are well established procedures for determining the benefits derived from the deployment of traditional technologies, the same procedures do not exist for many emerging technologies. Volt-VAR Optimization is an example of an emerging technology that is being deployed across the nation without a standardized method for determining system performance and benefits. This paper will present a method for the evaluation, and quantification of benefits, for field deployments of Volt-VAR Optimization technologies. In addition to presenting the methodology, the paper will present a summary of results, and observations, from two separate Volt-VAR Optimization field evaluations using the presented method.