Strategy to Quantify and Minimise Energy Losses in a Distribution Network

Abstract

High energy losses occur during the distribution of electricity to the end user in Uganda. These are both technical and non-technical losses. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to come up with means of quantifying, determining the possible sources and to develop a strategy to minimize energy losses on the WENRECo distribution network which is one of the greatly affected network. Distribution energy losses can simply be defined as the difference between the energy supplied to the distribution network from either a transmission grid or directly from the generation plant and the energy for which consumers are billed for (total energy sells to customers).The regulator of Uganda’s power system raised its need for study to be done on this network due to the high energy losses which have resulted into the high energy costs and poor quality of supply in the West Nile region. The project proposes the development of a simulation model of the WENRECo 33kV network in DIgSILENT power factory software which can be used to quantify the technical losses, determine possible sources and to implement strategies to minimize these losses. Then the value of non-technical losses will be determined, investigate their sources and propose means of minimizing them.