Abstract:
Traditionally, the effect of Small Power Producers (SPP) was not incorporated in the load forecasting of substations of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), Thailand. In 2002, PEA has lost approximately $316 million in revenue to SPP. In addition, PEAs substations have to reserve generating capacity for SPPs customers in case of generator outages. The purpose of this research is to determine the economic impact of the SPP on PEA. The backup capacity of PEAs substations provided for SPPs customers and their load profiles are investigated and the results can be used for substation expansion planning. The study shows that when the substation is used to provide backup for SPPs loads, the substation expansion must be done at a faster pace.