Towards an Assessment Framework for Congestion Management Mechanisms in Distribution Networks

The increasing penetration of distributed energy resources in distribution networks is expected to bring operational challenges to network operators. It is commonly assumed that congestion management mechanisms are required to counteract the anticipated problems. However, to investigate such mechanisms, careful and detailed simulations are required to determine the exact impact and effectiveness in distribution networks. Simulations need to consider a detailed prosumer modelling, their participation in the energy markets, an accurate network representation and the effect of network tariffs, among others. Only then different congestion management mechanisms can be fairly assessed. This paper presents such a simulation platform as a first step towards a holistic assessment framework, and presents some exemplary case studies as a preliminary assessment.