Effect of conductor size on the total cost of electricity distribution feeders in South African electrification
Doctoral Thesis
2006
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University of Cape Town
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Abstract
There is an optimum conductor size that minimises the lifetime cost of domestic electrification networks. The lifetime cost consists of the initial capital cost and ongoing running cost. Technical load losses are an important running cost and consideration for conductor size optimisation. Traditional conductor size optimisation methods base technical load loss costs on upstream generation and network costs. These loss costing methods assume that consumers behave as constant power loads. The impact of conductor voltage drops on changes in consumer energy consumption and demand and hence changes in utility bulk purchase cost and sales revenue are ignored. Traditional load loss calculation methods do not adequately describe the stochastic nature of individual consumer loads. In low-voltage domestic networks traditional methods may account for less than 25% of the actual lifetime running cost due to load losses and conductor voltage drop. It is shown that the results of traditional conductor size optimisation methods are severely compromised.
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Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-201).
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Carter-Brown, C. 2006. Effect of conductor size on the total cost of electricity distribution feeders in South African electrification. University of Cape Town.