  This paper proposes a novel congestion mitigation strategy for low voltage
residential feeders in which the rising power demand due to the electrification
of the transport and heating systems leads to congestion problems. The strategy
is based on requiring residential customers to limit their demand for a certain
amount of time in exchange for economic benefits.
  The main novelty of the method consists of combining a thorough
representation of the network physics with advanced constraints that ensure the
comfort of residential users, in a scalable manner that suits real systems. The
mitigation strategy is presented from a DSO perspective, and takes the form of
contracts between users and system operator. The focus on user comfort aims to
make the contracts appealing, encouraging users to voluntarily enroll in the
proposed mitigation scheme.
  The presented solution is implemented as a mixed-integer multi-period optimal
power flow problem which relies on a linearized three-phase power flow
formulation. Calculations on 100 real-life distribution feeders are performed,
to analyze the congestion-relieving potential of several possible system
operator-user contracts. From a planning perspective, the results can help the
system operator define contractual terms that make a specific congestion
mitigation scheme effective and viable. From an operational perspective, the
same calculations can be used to optimally schedule power reduction on a
day-ahead basis.
