Summary The recent changes in distribution systems have challenged utilities to assess the unprecedented volume of photovoltaic (PV) generator connections, which can result in adverse technical impacts from voltage rise and conductor overload. Therefore, a fast and effective way to analyze a distribution system's capacity to host new PV generators is crucial for the utilities. Usually, the connection assessments are based on repetitive power flow and short‐circuit calculations, and even though these analyses can be accurate, they require a steep increase in person‐hours and processing time. A simpler way to identify the hosting capacity of distribution systems to the connection of new PV generators is the adoption of connection assessment tools that, if properly designed, allow utility engineers to evaluate quickly if a new PV generator can be connected or not. This work proposes a connection assessment tool based on a fast screening approach that allows utility engineers to graphically analyze if a rooftop PV can be connected to a distribution system without causing adverse impacts. Tests of the proposed method are performed in two real distribution systems, attesting to its efficiency.

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Traditional generation and transmission expansion planning has served electric utilities well for several decades to procure the least costing set of assets to meet forecasted demand. Unfortunately, it does not consider a demand curve, in which case it procures generation and transmission assets that do not ensure maximum societal value. An Incremental Capacity Auction (ICA) enables a power system to competitively procure additional generation capacity that maximizes social welfare while satisfying numerous constraints. However, typical ICA designs, zonal or otherwise, do not consider new inter-zonal transmission lines and distributed energy resources (DERs) embedded in distribution systems, promoting suboptimal solutions. To address these shortcomings, this work presents a new comprehensive ICA model that considers intra-zonal and inter-zonal constraints with provision to add new inter-zonal transmission lines and distribution system embedded DERs, while accommodating nonmonotonically increasing generator capacity price bids. The proposed zonal ICA model is applied to two systems: (1) a synthetic test system with two zones; and (2) Ontario, Canada's provincial power system with six zones. The Ontario system study considers a realistic demand growth and demonstrates that the proposed zonal ICA model achieves 5.7% higher social welfare considering new inter-zonal transmission enhancements and DERs over existing single-zone methods.

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