Optimal operation of smart distribution networks: A review of models, methods and future research

Abstract The management of distributed energy resources (DER) in power distribution systems and the concept of demand side management (DSM) are becoming increasingly important in recent years, provided that emerging communication technologies contribute to the formation of smart distribution networks of the future. Several methods have been proposed in the literature for the optimal operation of smart distribution networks (OOSDN) with renewables and/or non-renewable DER, DSM and energy storage systems. The main scope of this paper is to review the most significant papers in the area of OOSDN and to introduce a taxonomy of models and optimization methods that are applied to the OOSDN problem. Moreover, the basic schemes for active network management are briefly presented. The article also discusses challenges and areas for future research in the field of OOSDN.