Planning for Distribution Resilience under Variable Generation: Prevention, Surviving and Recovery

Power grids based on traditional N-1 design criteria are no longer adequate because these designs do not withstand extreme weather events or cascading failures. Microgrid system has the capability of enhancing grid resilience through defensive or islanded operations in contingency. This paper presents a probabilistic framework for planning resilient distribution system via distributed wind and solar integration. We first define three aspects of resilient distribution system, namely prevention, survivability and recovery. Then we review the distributed generation planning models that comprehend moment estimation, chance constraints and bi-directional power flow. We strive to achieve two objectives: 1) enhancing the grid survivability when distribution lines are damaged or disconnected in the aftermath of disaster attack; and 2) accelerating the recovery of damaged assets through pro-active maintenance and repair services. A simple 9-node network is provided to demonstrate the application of the proposed resilience planning framework.