Role of optimal transmission switching in accommodating renewable energy in deep peak regulation-enabled power systems

Due to the shortage of fossil energy and the pollution caused by combustion of fossil fuels, the proportion of renewable energy in power systems is gradually increasing across the world. Accordingly, the capacity of power systems to accommodate renewable energy must be improved. However, integration of a large amount of renewable energy into power grids may result in network congestion. Hence, in this study, optimal transmission switching (OTS) is considered as an important method of accommodating renewable energy. It is incorporated into the operation of a power grid along with deep peak regulation of thermal power units, forming an interactive mode of coordinated operation of source and network. A stochastic unit commitment model considering deep peak regulation and OTS is established, and the role of OTS in promoting the accommodation of renewable energy is analyzed quantitatively. The results of case studies involving the IEEE 30-bus system demonstrate that OTS can enable utilization of the potential of deep peak regulation and facilitate the accommodation of renewable energy.