A hybrid PV scheme as support to relieve congestion in the domestic supply network

Abstract

In residential units (RUs), utilizing a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) source allows reducing the energy bill, as well as guarantee a continuous supply. However, the large-scale injection of PV energy surplus may cause congestion in the electrical network (EN), especially in the feeders, compromising its safety and reliability. To address this concern, this work proposes a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model for the intelligent management of energy in an RU with the support of a hybrid PV scheme (HPVS). The proposed model aims to minimize the energy consumption costs due to the optimal scheduling of residential appliances usage, including the electric vehicle (EV) battery charging. The proposed HPVS makes efficient use of a PV-array, storage battery (SB), and the energy provided by EN in order to meet the consumption needs of the RU. Operating constraints and technical limits related to the performance of each technology are considered. The simulation of uncertainties in the home appliances usage, EV charging, as well as the levels of solar radiation due to weather variation, are performed to obtain a more realistic MILP model. The results show the efficient performance of the proposed HPVS scheme in reducing RU energy consumption costs, as well as in optimizing the lifetime of the equipment, such as SB, PV array, EN’s domestic distribution network, without compromising the continuity of the supply service.