Switching Action Evaluation of a Net Metering Miniature System

Abstract

Net Metering is an electricity policy wherein renewable power sources at home are integrated to the power utility. This paper aims to validate a net metering miniature setup with respect to its switching action and power monitoring scheme. It seeks to show the performance of the switching actions on the net metering miniature system considering that the different loading cases occur and at the same time evaluate the power monitoring scheme of the miniature system. The researchers formulated their own net metering miniature system design to model the actual commercial net meter system and test the validity of the setup by performing three cases for switching action while monitoring power data from the ac analyzer on real-time basis. The researchers designed three switching action cases to exactly evaluate the system. There are three different cases of this design implementation. Using Matlab and its xlswrite function, real-time power monitoring is executed while performing three different load cases. Upon performing three different load cases, data gathered proves the validity of the switching actions. During case shifting, there is a negligible delay of displaying power data in the GUI. This delay is due to communication from ac analyzer to Matlab GUI and is insignificant enough to invalidate the setup. Power consumption from the utility happens only when the loading system has greater power consumption compared to that of the generated capacity of the renewable source.