Análise de impactos, custos e benefícios da penetração de fontes renováveis na rede de distribuição de Itajubá - MG

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable solutions in the electrical sector, coupled with the challenges posed by climate change, has driven the use of distributed generation (DG) technologies and sparked debates on optimal project allocation to promote fair integration. In this context, the importance of studies that provide insights to guide decision-making among sector agents becomes clear. This study, utilizing OpenDSS/DSS-Extensions software, analyzed the impacts, costs, and benefits of renewable energy penetration in the Itajubá-MG distribution network. Through simulations that consider the load of local Public Authority units, scenarios of local self-consumption and shared generation were modeled, with DG connected across different feeders and specific locations, such as the Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI). The analysis examined the impacts on technical losses, voltage violations, loading, reverse power flow, and the costs associated with potential network reinforcements, proposing measures to mitigate these challenges and ensure safe and efficient distribution system operation. This work is expected to contribute to the development of a framework for energy sustainability studies with a replicable methodology, which can be applied in other municipalities to assess the impacts of the penetration of renewable energy, contributing to the energy transition in different regions of the country. Additionally, it seeks to encourage collaboration between researchers and the community, demonstrating how open data access can generate practical and relevant knowledge for developing energy solutions that benefit the local population and the environment.