Investigating the impact of RES integration on medium-voltage cable joint failures based on geographical correlation methods

The integration of renewable energy sources (RES) into power grids introduces variability in network parameters, potentially accelerating component ageing and increasing failure rates, which compromise reliability. However, quantitative methods to evaluate the impact of RES on component reliability remain limited, hindering effective decision-making for further RES integration and optimal network utilisation. This study investigates the relationship between RES integration and cable joint failures in medium voltage (MV) networks using buffer analysis to explore spatial correlations between failure rates and RES plants, and geographically weighted regression to assess the spatial influence of RES capacity on failure rates of MV joints. The findings revealed a positive correlation between the installed RES and failure rates of MV joints in the studied province of Zeeland, the Netherlands. The proposed methodologies offer a foundation for assessing the reliability impacts of RES integration, supporting informed decisions to accommodate RES while ensuring network and component reliability.