Harvesting maximal PV energy with fine grained energy distribution: An alternative to traditional PV systems in buildings

Abstract

The existing renewable technology in use, particularly solar PVs for homes and other buildings, is billed as a significant step towards providing more robust, secure and affordable electricity. However, unavailability of electricity buyback programs in many regions, and recent changes in buyback policies in some countries make solar costlier due to the need for extra storage in the system. To this end, we present our system called SMaRTI: Self-Managing Renewable Technology Integration. This system is mainly designed for places where the utility grid is available, but for various reasons any excess electrical energy cannot be put back onto the grid through buyback programs. In traditional hybrid or grid-tied PV systems with battery backup, the electrical energy from the PV and the grid are tied at the inverter output. However, in SMaRTI this tying up is carried out at multiple distribution points in the system, giving SMaRTI an opportunity to optimize the PV output more efficiently. By using SMaRTI, not only one can utilize up to 98% of electrical energy generated by PV system but also the cost of ownership is reduced by more than 40% over a ten years period.