Hosting Capacity Map

Welcome to AEP Ohio's hosting capacity map. The map is designed to help contractors and developers find potential locations for private distributed energy resources (DERs), which may include new load (such as electric vehicle chargers) or new generation (such as solar or wind installations).

Utilize Our Interactive Map Today Find locations for distributed energy resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is hosting capacity?

Hosting Capacity Analysis (HCA) is the process of assessing the amount of new load or distributed generation that can be accommodated by the existing distribution system without requiring system enhancements or mitigations (such as infrastructure upgrades or equipment settings changes).

What factors can limit Hosting Capacity?

AEP considers the following system constraints when calculating hosting capacity:

• Thermal loading
• Abnormal Voltages (voltages outside of 117V - 126V)
• Voltage Variations (changes in voltage >= 3% from the baseline voltage condition)

Please note that a more comprehensive and complete analysis is performed as part of an interconnection request review and additional constraints such as reverse power flow, flicker, overcurrent protection, etc. may further limit the available capacity at a location beyond the hosting capacity analysis results shown in the map.

How is hosting capacity calculated?

Hosting capacity is calculated iteratively at each node within the distribution circuit. A load flow analysis is performed on a model of the existing circuit to establish a baseline. The load or generation is then increased at each node and a load flow analysis is performed after each increase until any of the constraints are violated. Once a violation occurs, the hosting capacity analysis completes for that node and the process is repeated until every node within the distribution system has been analyzed. The results, including the maximum hosting capacity value (MW) and the limiting constraint are output and displayed within the map.

Analysis Assumptions and Limits:

• Only DER less than or equal to 7,500 kW is evaluated
• Only DER greater than or equal to 150 kW is evaluated
• All simulated DER capacity (both generation and load) is assumed to have a fixed power factor of 100%
• All simulated DER capacity is assumed to be split equally (balanced) among the available phases
• Hosting capacity analysis is performed with thermal loading limits set to 100% of summer equipment ratings
• Hosting capacity analysis is performed on all nodes on a given circuit

How frequently is the map updated?

The data refresh frequency within the map varies by data type. Existing DER data is refreshed daily. The hosting capacity data is refreshed for each circuit based on triggering events (such as electric distribution system topology changes, significant load changes, or scheduled refreshes, etc.). For this reason, each individual circuit may have its hosting capacity data refreshed on a different date. Users can review the refresh date for both hosting capacity data and existing DER data by selecting an individual grid within the map and reviewing the Grid ID Summary details under the "Hosting Capacity Refresh Date" and "Circuit DER Data Refresh Date" sections.

How do I use the map?

See below for a list of features and functionality available within the map:

Color Coding & Legend: Expand the legend to quickly identify available hosting capacity in an area based on color coding.

Grid ID Summary: Retrieve detailed hosting capacity results for the selected grid(s). Select "Hosting Capacity — Data Definitions" to see a description of each attribute displayed within the Grid ID Summary.

Toggle Map Layer: Select the "LOAD" or "GENERATION" tabs at the bottom of the map to see the available hosting capacity from either the "Load" or "Generation" analysis.

Change Basemaps: Change the underlying basemap from available options including satellite, dark, light, topographic, etc.

Search: Search by unique GRID ID or by address/points of interest.

Selection Tools: Select individual grids or use the box/lasso/circle tools in the upper left corner to multi-select multiple grids and see corresponding hosting capacity data for all selected grids simultaneously.

Filters: Expand the filters tab from the lefthand side of the map to filter results by attributes such as voltage class and construction type.

What data is available?

Attribute	Attribute Definition	Example
Grid ID:	A unique identifier for the selected area in the map.	EAOV-678
Area Description:	An approximate address or general description of the area covered by the selected grid.	180 E Main St, Centerburg, Ohio, 43011
Operating Company:	The Operating Company name.	COLUMBUS SOUTHERN POWER COMPANY
Station Name:	The station name.	CENTERBURG
Circuit ID:	A unique identifier for the selected circuit.	0027201
Circuit Voltage Class:	The voltage class for the selected grid/circuit. Data displayed in kilovolts (kV).	13.00 kV
Location Voltage:	The voltage of the location on the selected grid/circuit. Data displayed in kilovolts (kV).	13.00 kV
Phasing:	The phasing of the location on the selected grid/circuit.	ABC
Wire Size and Type:	The wire size and wire type of the location on the selected grid/circuit. Ex: #2 wire size, AA = Aluminum Alloy conductor, BARE = no insulation	2 AA BARE
Station Max Hosting Capacity:	The maximum hosting capacity value for a given station from all available circuits fed from that station. Data displayed in megawatts (MW).	7.50 MW
Circuit Max Hosting Capacity:	The maximum hosting capacity value for a given circuit from all available locations on that circuit. Data displayed in megawatts (MW).	7.48 MW
Grid Hosting Capacity:	The maximum hosting capacity available within the selected grid. Data displayed in megawatts (MW).	0.2 MW
Limiting Constraint (Coming soon):	The constraint that is limiting the maximum hosting capacity in the selected grid.	Thermal Loading
Circuit DER In-Queue:	The amount of DER currently in queue for the identified circuit. Data displayed in kilowatts (kW).	0.00 kW
Circuit DER Approved-to-Connect:	The amount of DER currently approved for interconnection but not yet in service for the identified circuit. Data displayed in kilowatts (kW).	12.00 kW
Circuit DER In-Service:	The amount of DER currently in service for the identified circuit. Data displayed in kilowatts (kW).	238.35 kW
Circuit DER Total:	The total amount of DER for the identified circuit. This is the sum of DER "In-Queue", "Approved-To-Connect" and "In-Service". Data displayed in kilowatts (kW).	250.35 kW
Total Circuit Capacity:	The maximum circuit capacity for the respective circuit based on operating restrictions and equipment ratings. Data displayed in megawatts (MW).	15.77 MW
Total Transformer Capacity:	The maximum transformer capacity for the transformer(s) feeding the circuit based on operating restrictions and equipment ratings. If the circuit is fed from paralleled transformers, this is the effective capacity for the paralleled operation. Data displayed in megawatts (MW).	22.40 MW
Total Station Capacity:	The total substation capacity for the station feeding the circuit based on operating restrictions and equipment ratings. Data displayed in megawatts (MW).	86.55 MW
Hosting Capacity Refresh Date (EST):	The date/time that the hosting capacity rating (kW) was last refreshed for the selected grid/circuit.  Data displayed in Eastern Standard Time (EST). Note that this date will vary by grid/circuit.	11-07-2023-04:24
Circuit DER Data Refresh Date (EST):	The date that the queued DER data (kW) was last refreshed for the selected grid/circuit.  Data displayed in Eastern Standard Time (EST). Note that this date will vary by grid/circuit.	06-20-24-03:03

Disclaimer

The HCA results displayed within the map should be used for preliminary review purposes only and the maps do not replace the existing new load request or DER interconnection application processes. The hosting capacity data displayed within the map is taken from a previous point in time and does not necessarily reflect current system conditions. After a new load or DER interconnection application has been submitted, a more complete engineering review and analysis will occur which may limit or expand the amount of load/DER that can be connected (hosted) at a particular location.