Optimal planning and operation of grid-connected PV/CHP/battery energy system considering demand response and electric vehicles for a multi-residential complex building

Abstract

Ongoing technological innovations and communication infrastructure have rapidly increased the active participation of energy customers and utilization of renewable energy sources and electric vehicles (EVs) as climate change solutions. As such, the demand response program (DRP) has been developed as an effective tool for better interaction mechanisms and balancing supply and demand. This paper proposes a model for optimal planning and operation of an integrated PV/CHP/battery/gas boiler hybrid grid-connected energy system with the purpose of minimizing lifecycle cost. The model considers EV charging stations (private and shared), incentive-based DRP, and net energy metering mechanism. Different alternatives for system configuration are optimized and analyzed in terms of cost, emission, and resiliency factors. A new representative case study of a multi-residential complex building with electrical and thermal loads is depicted to validate the research methodology. The results show that the full utilization of the building roof with maximum PV capacity and adoption of the DRP initiatives for both summer and winter seasons reduces the electricity import from the grid and enhanced the use of the on-site CHP generator and battery packs. The optimal system with 73.9 kW PV, 105 kW CHP, and 53 kW inverter is of superior performance with reduction percentages of 9 %, 10 %, 45 % and 16 % in the system's net present cost, energy cost, annual utility bill, and CO2 emissions, respectively, compared to the base scenario of CHP/gas boiler/grid. Also, the proposed system also gets significant DRP revenue of 10,060$/yr and zero unmet demands and a negligible number of EVs missed charging sessions despite the grid outages and intermittency of solar resources. Overall, this work can provide an understanding and a way forward to those working on iHES development for complex buildings and a valuable benchmark model that is transferable and applicable with relative ease for other regions.