Reliability Analysis of Electricity grid integrated with PV system and
BESS at Distribution Level: A case study of Ntongwe and Gatumba Feeders
at Rwanda’s Electricity Network
Abstract
The escalating energy demand in today’s world underscores the need for a
consistent and continuous power supply. There is a push towards
promoting renewable energy sources to address this demand because of
their positive impact on the environment and their widespread
accessibility. Particularly in Rwanda, for the radial distribution
network, the reliability improvement in electricity supply requires
rectifications of power system infrastructure, including transmission,
distribution system, and an increase in energy generation capacity. To
evaluate the influence of renewable energy sources (RES) on the
reliability of Rwanda’s power grid, Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems
combined with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are introduced into
the Gatumba and Ntongwe feeders. For reliability enhancement of the grid
to the feeders where solar PV system and BESS are connected, protection
switches are configured so that the PV systems and BESS supply the load
demand in the absence of the grid, thereby increasing the generation
capacity and reducing interruption frequency and duration. Simulation
results from DigSILENT and PV*SOL simulation tools showed that by
integrating solar PV systems with BESS to Gatumba and Ntongwe feeders,
the system reliability ameliorates by 71.6% and 95.5% for system
average interruption frequency and duration, respectively.