Distribution Automation Effects on Reliability during Major Contingencies

Abstract

Distribution automation affects reliability by providing faster restoration ability. In this study, the effect of distribution automation on radial distribution circuits during substation failures at peak load is investigated. The ultimate goal is to compare circuit automation to manual operation, where the comparison evaluates planning criteria reliability for customer interruption hours. The results show that distribution automation can improve reliability measurements such as SAIDI, SAIFI and CAIDI.