OTHER ARTICLE A compensation-based method to model PV nodes in backward/forward distribution network analysis A. Augugliaro, L. Dusonchet, S. Favuzza, M.G. Ippolito and E. Riva Sanseverino Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica, Elettronica e delle Telecomunicazioni, Universita ` di Palermo, Palermo, Italia Abstract Purpose – This paper proposes to identify a new model of the fixed voltage nodes (PV nodes) for medium voltage distribution systems analysis. The model is used within backward/forward (b/f) analysis method applied to solve radial and weakly meshed systems. Design/methodology/approach – The model is based on the compensation currents method for multi-port systems which has been extensively used, within b/f analysis methods, to take into account the presence of meshes and PV nodes. Findings – Test results prove the approach to be more efficient and precise than previous methodologies and put into evidence the good performance of the proposed model in terms of speed and convergence properties. Research limitations/implications – The model is developed to be used within b/f methodology. Practical implications – Utilities are quite interested in such items, since the deregulation electricity market in last years has determined an evolution of the medium voltage distribution networks, due to the presence of distributed generation. So it is necessary to take into account and to model in an opportune way the nodes with distributed generators (PV nodes), also in weakly meshed networks, for the load flow analysis. Originality/value – The paper presents a new model to treat the fixed voltage nodes (PV nodes) for medium voltage distribution networks analysis. Keywords Electrical connections, Voltage, Meshes Paper type Research paper Introduction The analysis technique now widely adopted for radial distribution systems is the iterative backward/forward (b/f) methodology, whose generic iteration is fundamentally articulated into two steps. The first step is the backward sweep: on the basis of a known bus voltage profile, the currents (or the powers) required by the loads and the shunt lines admittances are calculated; from these, starting from the terminal branches and going towards the root node, the current and power flows in all the network branches can be determined. The second step is the forward sweep: starting from the source node and going towards the terminal nodes, the voltages at all the nodes can be calculated. Once the iteration is over, node by node, the starting and The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0332-1649.htm COMPEL 26,2 476 Received October 2005 Revised April 2006 Accepted August 2006 COMPEL: The International Journal for Computation and Mathematics in Electrical and Electronic Engineering Vol. 26 No. 2, 2007 pp. 476-488 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0332-1649 DOI 10.1108/03321640710727818