A Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis on LVDC Distribution System for Rural Electrification in South Korea

Low voltage direct current (LVDC) distribution system is a suitable techno-economiccandidate which can create an innovative solution for distribution network development with respect torural electrification. This research focuses on the use of LVDC distribution system to replace some ofKEPCO’s existing traditional medium voltage alternating current (MVAC) distribution network forrural electrification in South Korea. Considering the technical and economic risks and benefitsinvolved in such project, a comparative techno-economic analysis on the LVDC and the MVACdistribution networks is conducted using economic assessment method such as the net present value(NPV) on a discounted cash flow (DCF) basis as well as the sensitivity analysis technique. Each wouldplay a role in an economic performance indicator and a measure of uncertainty and risk involved in theproject. In this work, a simulation model and a computational tool are concurrently developed andemployed to aid the techno-economic analysis, evaluation, and estimation of the various systemsefficiency and / or performance. KCI Citation Count: 6