Network topology optimisation for improved wind penetration and reliability.

The traditional fixed topology of transmission networks is prone to power congestions, which can cause load curtailment and reduce the integrations of wind power, leading to more dispatching of conventional generators and higher overall dispatch cost. This can be overcome by improving the operation flexibility of transmission networks to enhance wind integration level. This is achieved in this paper by employing the network topology optimization technique to optimize network topology by flexibly altering the connections of lines and busbars. The proposed evaluation framework is generic and applicable on any network. Case studies performed on the IEEE 24-bus test system show that the proposed technique is effective in reducing the three costs considered here, namely the load curtailment cost, generator dispatch cost and wind curtailment cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]