  The recent major increase in decentralized energy resources (DERs) such as
photovoltaic (PV) panels alters the loading profile of distribution systems
(DS) and impacts higher voltage levels. Distribution system operators (DSOs)
try to manage the deployment of new DERs to decrease the operational costs.
However, DER location and size are factors beyond any DSO's reach. This paper
presents a practical method to minimize the DS operational costs due to new DER
deployments, through optimal selection of their connection phase. The impact of
such distribution grid management efforts on aggregated demand for higher
voltage levels is also evaluated and discussed in this paper. Simulation
results on a real-life Belgian network show the effectiveness of optimal
connection phase selection in decreasing DS operational costs, and the
considerable impact of such simple DS management efforts on the aggregated
demand.
