Conservation voltage reduction (CVR)-the operation of the electric distribution system in a way that delivers voltages to consumers at or near the lower bounds of statutory delivery standards-has been practiced in North America since the 1970s. CVR benefits for utilities include peak demand reduction, energy savings and a decrease in technical and nontechnical line losses. With the advent of the smart grid in the U.S. and its push by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, CVR has become known as an operational state of a technology and referred to as volt/VAR optimization (WO) or integrated volt/VAR Control (IVVC). In addition to the traditional benefits achieved through CVR, WO technologies can improve distribution system reliability and mitigate the impacts of distributed energy resources (e.g., photovoltaics (PV), etc.).
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