Load Factor Assessment of the Electric Grid by the Optimal Scheduling of Electrical Equipment-A MIQCP Model

In recent years, demand-side management (DSM) strategies have become an indispensable tool in the operation and planning of modern electricity grids (EGs). One effective way of ensuring the economical and reliable operation of an EG is through assessing its load factor (LF), while considering different types of electrical equipment (e.g., residential, commercial, and industrial). Toward this end, this paper proposes a mixed-integer quadratically constrained programming (MIQCP) model to deal with the LF assessment problems in a modified power distribution system through optimal scheduling of electrical equipment. This MIQCP model aims to minimize the total costs of purchasing energy by the electric utility via an iterative process, in which the difference between the energy consumption in each period and the average consumption is reduced. In the proposed model, the uncertainties in the consumption habits of different consumers, information related to each electrical equipment, energy prices, and the grid’s technical constraints are considered. A modified 34-node EG, differentiated by consumer type, is implemented to evaluate the proposed model. Results show that the LF value is related to the optimal scheme of the electrical equipment that meets the operational and economic requirements of the power grid.