Methodology and simulation of electrical grid peak shaving strategy based on photovoltaic and storage optimization. An italian residential sector case study

The European Union has set some ambitious targets to reach the goal of net-zero greenhouse gasses by 2050. The outlined scenarios provide the use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) on a large-scale, but to do so, different kinds of actions must be taken, because the ample amount of non-programmable electricity sources may cause grid management problems and a mismatch in the energy supply and demand. The vast increase of the Italian power demand, which typically occurs in the evening, necessarily requires a rapid increase in thermoelectric power generation. A possible solution to avoid this phenomenon is the optimization of photovoltaic production and storage and, simultaneously, the minimization of the Life-Cycle impact of these systems on the environment. This work aims to identify a methodology that supports the analysis and design of a production, self-consumption and storage system, which services a residential user aggregate, in order to reach an electric power demand optimization. In particular, the target is to obtain a Peak Shaving of the electrical demand power curve, by setting a limit on the maximum absorption of power from the grid, and supplying the rest of the user’s power needs through an electrical energy storage system, charged from the photovoltaic plant during the daily overproduction time. To do so, 14 dwelling power consumptions have been aggregated and analysed, starting from a data monitoring that occurred in January and June of 2019. The energy consumptions considered, are in line with the Italian average ones. The Peak Shaving strategy effectiveness has been evaluated by using a percentage parameter, that represents the number of power absorption peaks from the grid, avoided thanks to the storage system. In this study, some optimal system plant settings, in terms of maximum power absorption from the grid, photovoltaic nominal peak power and electrical storage capacity, are investigated to reach the set goals, and some solutions are presented, in light of the needs of the public grid where the system operates.