A Prioritised Automatic Switching Algorithm for Load Shedding Using Labview

Load shedding is employed at the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) Tarkwa power substation to ensure a balance between power demand and available power. This involves taking off loads from the power transmission network when demand exceeds available power. Such loads are later reintroduced when available power is adequate to supply applied loads. The traditional technique of load shedding employed at the GRIDCo power substation in Tarkwa requires dropping electrical loads based on frequency variations. This may lead to dropping load of entire sections without consideration of essential loads. Research into prioritised load shedding algorithm using semi adaptive load shedding approach can continuously monitor and switch loads at the study area which is a transmission substation located in the Western Region of Ghana. Electrical Transient Analysis Program (ETAP) software version 2019 was used to simulate the single line system of the GRIDCo substation to determine the rate of change of frequency against varying loads. The implementation of the proposed technique was achieved with Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench (LabVIEW) software version 2019. Using typical load shedding data from the GRIDCo Tarkwa power substation, the proposed design was tested and found to be effective in carrying out load shedding.