Introduction

In the previous module, we learnt about a smart grid is and its advantages. We also looked into the different paradigms, tools and methods to model a smart grid. In this module, we will focus on the application of Optimal Power Flow (OPF) solutions to evaluate the performance of a power system with renewable energy sources. In this module, we attempt to answer the following questions:

•     What is an optimization problem and how can it be applied to power systems?
•     How can uncertainties be modeled?
•     How can probabilistic analysis be carried out for power systems?
•     How can the power output of a variable energy source (wind turbine) be modeled and visualized?

In this module, the following terms may be used extensively: OPF and PPF. They refer to Optimal Power Flow and Probabilistic Power Flow respectively.