Maximizing hosting capacity of renewable energy sources in distribution networks: A multi-objective and scenario-based approach Abbas Rabiee, Seyed Masoud Mohseni-Bonab * Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran article info Article history: Received 17 December 2015 Received in revised form 12 November 2016 Accepted 15 November 2016 Available online xxx Keywords: Distribution network Energy procurement cost Hosting capacity (HC) Scenario-based modeling Wind power generation abstract Due to the development of renewable energy sources (RESs), maximization of hosting capacity (HC) of RESs has gained significant interest in the existing and future power systems. HC maximization should be performed considering various technical constraints like power flow equations, limits on the distribution feeders' voltages and currents, as well as economic constraints such as the cost of energy procurement from the upstream network and power generation by RESs. RESs are volatile and uncertain in nature. Thus, it is necessary to handle their inherent uncertainties in the HC maximization problem. Wind power is now the fastest growing RESs around the world. Hence, in this paper a stochastic multi-objective optimization model is proposed to maximize the distribution network's HC for wind power and mini- mize the energy procurement costs in a wind integrated power system. The following objective functions are considered: 1) Cost of the purchased energy from upstream network (to be minimized) and 2) Operation and maintenance cost of wind farms. The proposed model is examined on a standard radial 69 bus distribution feeder and a practical 152 bus distribution system. The numerical results substantiate that the proposed model is an effective tool for distribution network operators (DNOs) to consider both technical and economic aspects of distribution network's HC for RESs. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Distribution networks have been developed under vertically integrated patterns with little or no generation units installed in medium and low voltage levels. Calculation of distribution net- works' hosting capacity (HC) for renewable energy sources (RESs) is an effective tool to determine the most suitable locations and ca- pacities for the installation of RESs. Hence, the investments will be guided toward the critical and most effective nodes of the grid. Beneficial integration of RESs into distribution networks, as well as large-scale renewable power injection into transmission systems impose considerable challenges to the existing methods for power system planning and operation. Wind power is the fastest growing and popular form of RESs [1], which has gained the attention of researchers around the world in recent years. The wind power HC of a distribution network is limited by power quality and reliability concerns. Distribution network operator (DNO) and RES owners (RESO) may not have the same strategies or benefits, which would result in the conflict of interests between DNO and RESO. For example, DNO is interested to attract more wind power generation capacity in his/ her network under control, which leads RESO to sell more energy and DNO to receive more connection fees. However, this issue may increase energy losses, which is undesirable for DNO. In this paper, the aims of both DNO and RESO are considered simultaneously through a multi-objective optimization framework. Thus, this work focuses on maximizing HC in distribution networks as well as minimizing the production cost of RESs. A mid-term horizon (i.e. a one year period) is considered which explores how a distribution network should be operated and how much capacity of wind turbines should be optimally installed in order to attract more wind power generation capacity without deteriorating the network efficiency and operational constraints. 1.1. Literature review Various studies have been carried out for optimal sizing and sitting of wind power or generally RESs. Optimal power flow (OPF)- based approaches are proposed to determine the available HC for DGs [2] and wind power [3] in distribution networks. Genetic * Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: rabiee@znu.ac.ir (A. Rabiee), s.m.mohsenibonab@ieee.org (S.M. Mohseni-Bonab). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Energy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/energy http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2016.11.095 0360-5442/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Energy xxx (2016) 1e14 Please cite this article in press as: Rabiee A, Mohseni-Bonab SM, Maximizing hosting capacity of renewable energy sources in distribution networks: A multi-objective and scenario-based approach, Energy (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2016.11.095