Planning for Utility Distribution Systems

Purpose

The planning of an electrical utility distribution system to ensure sufficiency, dependability, and economy is covered in this training course. An examination of the distribution system’s foundational components opens the course. The planning process is then dissected in detail, with emphasis placed on the significance of each phase in obtaining the intended result. To guarantee the cost-effectiveness of the capital-intensive infrastructure, an extensive view of engineering economics is incorporated. The process of creating and interpreting load projections is looked into since planning is required due to changes in load. In order to correctly evaluate the distribution’s reliability, methods for estimating and measuring reliability will be described.

Higher reliability and reduced prices are what utility customers today desire, and this trend will undoubtedly remain for the next few decades. Effective planning strategies offer a way to satisfy the reliability and cost concerns of customers while better placing the utility for future consumer demand adaptation. This training program offers tried-and-true planning techniques that will benefit the utility and its customers.

Course Objectives

By completion of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Identify the best equipment and topologies for distribution systems, Conduct thorough planning studies, make the calculations required to justifiably fund system improvement initiatives, put load projections into practice and interpret the results for distribution system studies, quantify reliability, and monitor progress toward reliability objectives.

Duration: 5 Days

Target Audience

The utility or consultancy engineers and technicians who plan and/or develop distribution facilities should take this training course. This training program can help you greatly if you are starting a career in this field. A fundamental understanding of utility power distribution is one of the prerequisite skills needed to succeed in this course.

Although this training program is appropriate for a wide spectrum of professionals, it will especially help

Engineers and technicians with intermediate skills who plan and design utility distribution systems, professionals working to increase distribution system reliability, utility engineers and consultants who conduct load forecasts and studies, and engineers tasked with rating the effectiveness of power distribution systems.

Program Outline

TOPIC 1: Overview of System and Equipment

Objectives and Hierarchy of the System; System Topologies and Service Areas; True System Costs; Substation Equipment; Feeder Equipment; Need for Automation

TOPIC 2: Day The planning process

Evaluation techniques and criteria, sensitivity analysis, planning horizons, planning techniques, the four-step process, and lead times.

TOPIC 3: Engineering Economics

Time Value of Money, Cash Flow Constraints, Cost of Losses, Cost-Benefit Analysis, and Asset Management, Maintenance with a focus on dependability

TOPIC 4: Load Projection

Simulating methods, informal methods, simple trending, sophisticated trending, small-area load forecasting objectives, and putting it all together.

TOPIC 5: Reliability Assessment

Industry Standard Reliability Terms Definitions, Reliability Indices Relationship Between System Protection and Reliability Effects of Design and Operation on Reliability Intelligent System Components Reliability Improvement Due to Automation