Load Modeling with Smart Meter Data for Advanced Volt-VAR Optimization Applications

This paper presents methods for creating time-varying, end-use electric load models for use by advanced model-based volt-VAR optimization (VVO) control schemes, which have been shown to reduce energy consumption and peak demand in the electric distribution system. Many modern VVO systems use power flow models to inform control decisions, which require accurate end-use load models for optimal performance. The methods presented in this paper use active power, reactive power, and voltage magnitude measurements from advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to create time-varying load models for each customer meter. Simulated AMI data and distribution systems are used to validate the effectiveness of the presented methods. The results show that the load models derived from AMI data can accurately represent end-use load behavior such as total energy costs, but lose accuracy when considering more dynamic system behavior such as voltage violations over short time intervals. This work advances the state-of-the-art model-based VVO by providing data-driven load modeling techniques which acknowledge that optimal distribution system control requires a treatment of the system which is dependent on time and voltage.