Optimization of Voltage Profile and Power Loss Reduction in Iraqi Distribution Networks under High Load Conditions with Renewable Energy Integration

Abstract

Electrical distribution networks in developing countries, including Iraq, suffer from significant power losses and voltage instability, especially under high-load conditions during peak summer demand. Conventional approaches such as capacitor placement, distributed generation (DG), and network reconfiguration have been widely applied; however, these methods are typically implemented independently and often fail to provide sufficient performance improvement under realistic operating conditions.To overcome these limitations, this study proposes a hybrid optimization framework that integrates solar photovoltaic (PV) generation, optimal capacitor placement, and network reconfiguration within a unified model. A modified IEEE 33-bus system is used to simulate Iraqi network conditions with a 40% load increase. The optimization problem is formulated as a multi-objective function and solved using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO).The results demonstrate that PV integration alone reduces power losses by approximately 24%, while the proposed hybrid approach achieves up to 42% reduction. Furthermore, the minimum bus voltage is improved from 0.88 pu to 0.975 pu, ensuring compliance with standard operational limits.These findings demonstrate that the proposed approach provides a more effective and practical solution for improving the performance and reliability of distribution networks under high-load conditions.