Abstract
•Developed a co-optimization generation and transmission planning model.•Maximizing the solar PV integration considering system operational constraints.•Determine the optimal size and location of solar PV integration.•Calculate the maximum solar PV penetration and expected solar PV energy curtailment.•Benders decomposition applied to coordinate planning and operation problems.
The shift from conventional generation to renewable energy resources in an effort to reduce emissions has led to a rapid proliferation of renewable resources especially solar photovoltaic (PV) in power systems. More and more large-scale solar PV farms are expected to be integrated in the existing grids in the foreseeable future in compliance with the energy sector renewable portfolio standards (RPS) in different states and countries. The integration of large-scale solar PV into power systems, however, will necessitate a system upgrade by adding new dispatchable units and transmission lines. In this paper, a co-optimization generation and transmission planning model is proposed to maximize large-scale solar PV hosting capacity. The solution of this model further determines the optimal solar PV size and location, along with potential required PV energy curtailment. Numerical simulations study the proposed co-optimization planning problem with and without considering the solar PV integration and exhibit the effectiveness of the proposed model.