Optimal sizing of off-grid microgrid building-integrated-photovoltaic system with battery for a net zero energy residential building in different climates of Morocco

Abstract

An optimal sizing of an off-grid microgrid system composed of photovoltaic (PV)/building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV)/battery energy storage installation is undergone for Net Zero Energy Residential Building blocks across six different climates of Morocco. The Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm is used to find the optimal sizing of the system, by considering the hourly spatiotemporal variations in both solar energy availability and energy demand, with the lowest Total Annualized Cost as the objective function and capacities of BIPV and battery as decision variables. The methodology adopted focuses on main load fulfillment through direct PV and BIPV power supply, backed by battery energy storage technology, to continually guarantee self-sufficiency. A key metric, the load cover factor, is introduced to quantify the ratio by which the load demand is satisfied by the solar PV and BIPV systems. The findings show that the optimal sizing of the BIPV system can help to improve the load cover factor by 0.68–2.58 %. Moreover, integrating BIPV system with PV system and Battery leads to a reduction in the Levelized Cost of Energy with approximately 8.7–20.72 %, as opposed to utilizing only the PV system and battery. Depending on the local climate, the levelized cost of energy ranges from $0.366/kWh in Ouarzazate city up to $0.664/kWh in Ifrane city. Lastly, this holistic approach aims to transform the building from its traditional role as an energy consumer to a carbon-free energy prosumer.