Resumen
In this paper, an improved smart meter data-based three-stage algorithm to calculate the power/energy losses in three-phase networks with the voltage level below 0.4 kV (low voltage—LV) is presented. In the first stage, the input data regarding the hourly active and reactive powers of the consumers and producers are introduced. The powers are loaded from the database of the smart metering system (SMS) for the consumers and producers integrated in this system or files containing the characteristic load profiles established by the Distribution Network Operator for the consumers, which have installed the conventional meters non-integrated in the SMS. In the second stage, a function, which is based on the work with the structure vectors, was implemented to easily identify the configuration of analysed networks. In the third stage, an improved version of a forward/backward sweep-based algorithm was proposed to quickly calculate the power/energy losses to three-phase LV distribution networks in a balanced and unbalanced regime. A real LV rural distribution network from a pilot zone belonging to a Distribution Network Operator from Romania was used to confirm the accuracy of the proposed algorithm. The comparison with the results obtained using the DigSilent PowerFactory Simulation Package certified the performance of the algorithm, with the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) being 0.94%.