From Similarity to Feasibility: Diffusion-Refined Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Distribution Network Optimization

Abstract

Rapidly shifting operational scenarios driven by uncertain Distributed Energy Resource (DER) profiles render conventional distribution network optimization methods either computationally expensive or poorly generalizable. This paper introduces GridRAG, a pioneering retrieval-augmented framework that transforms optimization into a ``retrieve-and-refine'' paradigm. GridRAG first embeds scenario features and optimal solutions into a joint representation space to ensure semantic consistency. Based on the hybrid semantic information, the similar historical scenarios are then retrieved from a pre-constructed database. Then an SDEdit-style diffusion module is integrated to refine retrieved solutions by modeling the conditional distribution over near-feasible manifolds. This process effectively pulls retrieved solutions into near-optimal attraction basins, providing a high-quality warm-start for the final solver. Validated on three optimization tasks across four standard topologies, GridRAG demonstrates superior cross-scenario generalization and a multi-fold speedup in solution time compared to existing learning-based and model-based baselines. Our code is available at https://github.com/YuxuanCEE/GridRAG.