Abstract
This paper analyzes the use patterns of a residential smart grid pilot in the Netherlands, called PowerMatching City. The analysis is based on detailed monitoring data measured at 5-min intervals for the year 2012, originating from this pilot which was realized in 2007 in Groningen, Netherlands. In this pilot, smart appliances, heat pumps, micro-combined heat and power (µ-CHP), and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have been installed to evaluate their efficiency, their ability to reduce peak electricity purchase, and their effects on self-sufficiency and on the local use of solar electricity. As a result of the evaluation, diverse yearly and weekly indicators have been determined, such as electricity purchase and delivery, solar production, flexible generation, and load. Depending on the household configuration, up to 40% of self-sufficiency is achieved on an annual average basis, and 14.4% of the total consumption were flexible. In general, we can conclude that micro-CHP contributed to keep purchase from the grid relatively constant throughout the seasons. Adding to that, smart appliances significantly contributed to load shifting in peak times. It is recommended that similar evaluations will be conducted in other smart grid pilots to statistically enhance insights in the functioning of residential smart grids.
Highlights
Residential photovoltaic (PV) installations are one of the promising options to locally generate and consume sustainable and cost-effective energy [1]
The higher amount of consumption of PowerMatching City (PMC) can be partially explained by the number of residents per household (40% higher than the Dutch average)
We compared the different configurations of a smart grid pilot in the Netherlands in order to identify the demand–supply balance of the configurations
Summary
Residential photovoltaic (PV) installations are one of the promising options to locally generate and consume sustainable and cost-effective energy [1]. One of the major technical issues related to the integration of renewable energy systems into local electricity networks is balancing the mismatch between demand and supply of power [2]. Batteries may be required to maintain a high quality of the power fed into local electricity networks, alternative solutions for the realization of flexibility may need to be evaluated because of the high environmental impact of batteries [8]. Rather than self-consumption with flexible loads or temporary storage of the PV infeed to the grid, an efficient and sustainable integration of renewable energy is only possible if the network is flexible and resilient [9]. Electric flexibility can be defined as a power adjustment sustained at a given
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
