Relation between hosting capacity of MV and LV networks and a joint hosting capacity assessment

Solar PV connections at medium voltage (MV) level can impact low voltage (LV) networks by reducing their margin for installing additional PV units. This paper presents an approach to estimate the hosting capacity of distribution networks, including an integrated model of MV-LV networks and a visualisation method for assessing the sharing of hosting capacity between voltage levels. The objective is to quantify the mutual influence of MV and LV connections and to support the planning and management of connection requests. The proposed visualisation method illustrates the trade-off between MV and LV production units, accounting for both voltage and loading limitations, and provides a good representation of how PV connections at one voltage level affect the other. Results show that the coupling between MV and LV networks significantly impacts the hosting capacity, how it can be shared, and that constraints at either level can limit future connections. The method facilitates the identification of the voltage level imposing the most significant limitations and thus also supports the assessment of where and which mitigation strategies would be more effective. Overall, the method highlights the importance of a joint assessment considering the MV-LV coupling to support informed planning decisions.