Strategies for correlating solar PV array production with electricity demand

One of the main advantages of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy is its availability during periods of high electricity demand, namely hot, sunny days. Unfortunately, the daily energy peak of a south-facing solar panel, oriented to maximize energy production, rarely coincides with the actual peak in electricity demand, which is usually in the late afternoon or evening. Using the Province of Ontario, Canada, as a case study, this paper evaluates three strategies for improving the correlation between PV energy production and electricity demand: optimally orienting PV modules, combining geographically dispersed arrays, and using a simple energy storage system. The strategies are compared based on their ability to improve the supply-demand correlation, their relative cost of energy, and the capacity credit of each strategy. We find that optimally orienting multiple modules in an array offers little potential to improve correlation, while the cost of energy increases between 30 and 40%. Geographically dispersed PV arrays and energy storage offer a better approach to improving the correlation between PV production and electricity demand.

[1]  J. Olseth,et al.  Modelling slope irradiance at high latitudes , 1986 .

[2]  Andreas Sumper,et al.  A review of energy storage technologies for wind power applications , 2012 .

[3]  William E. Boyson,et al.  Photovoltaic array performance model. , 2004 .

[4]  Ian Beausoleil-Morrison,et al.  Optimal PV orientation and geographic dispersion : a study of 10 Canadian cities and 16 Ontario locations , 2012 .

[5]  C. Breyer,et al.  Global overview on grid‐parity , 2013 .

[6]  P. Denholm,et al.  Evaluating the Limits of Solar Photovoltaics (PV) in Traditional Electric Power Systems , 2007 .

[7]  John Boland,et al.  Modelling of diffuse solar fraction with multiple predictors , 2010 .

[8]  S. Schubert,et al.  MERRA: NASA’s Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications , 2011 .

[9]  J. M. Martínez-Duart,et al.  Analytical model for solar PV and CSP electricity costs: Present LCOE values and their future evolution , 2013 .

[10]  Ian H. Rowlands,et al.  Solar PV electricity and market characteristics: two Canadian case-studies , 2005 .

[11]  Galen Barbose,et al.  Tracking the Sun VII: An Historical Summary of the Installed Price of Photovoltaics in the United States from 1998 to 2013 , 2012 .

[12]  W. Beckman,et al.  Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes , 1985 .

[13]  Ian Beausoleil-Morrison,et al.  Optimal solar-PV tilt angle and azimuth: An Ontario (Canada) case-study , 2011 .

[14]  R. Seals,et al.  Assessing the load matching capability of photovoltaics for US utilities based upon satellite-derived insolation data , 1993, Conference Record of the Twenty Third IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - 1993 (Cat. No.93CH3283-9).

[15]  L. L. Garver,et al.  Effective Load Carrying Capability of Generating Units , 1966 .

[16]  Peter Lund,et al.  Options for improving the load matching capability of distributed photovoltaics: Methodology and application to high-latitude data , 2009 .

[17]  Robert W. Andrews,et al.  Validation of the MERRA dataset for solar PV applications , 2014, 2014 IEEE 40th Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC).

[18]  Robert F. Boehm,et al.  Impact of roof integrated PV orientation on the residential electricity peak demand , 2012 .

[19]  Ihab Abboud,et al.  Comparing Photovoltaic Capacity Value Metrics: A Case Study for the City of Toronto , 2008 .

[20]  Margaret H. Wright,et al.  Direct search methods: Once scorned, now respectable , 1996 .

[21]  G. Watson,et al.  Numerical Analysis 1995 , 1996 .

[22]  Jukka Paatero,et al.  Effects of Large-Scale Photovoltaic Power Integration on Electricity Distribution Networks , 2007, Renewable Energy.

[23]  Ian Beausoleil-Morrison,et al.  Managing solar-PV variability with geographical dispersion: An Ontario (Canada) case-study , 2014 .

[24]  William A. Beckman,et al.  Improvement and validation of a model for photovoltaic array performance , 2006 .

[25]  Manajit Sengupta,et al.  Optimizing Geographic Allotment of Photovoltaic Capacity in a Distributed Generation Setting , 2012 .

[26]  Paul Denholm,et al.  Evaluating the limits of solar photovoltaics (PV) in electric power systems utilizing energy storage and other enabling technologies , 2007 .

[27]  Peter Lund,et al.  Corrigendum to “Options for improving the load matching capability of distributed photovoltaics: Methodology and application to high-latitude data” [Sol. Energy 83 (2009) 1953–1966] , 2011 .

[28]  David Faiman,et al.  Assessing the outdoor operating temperature of photovoltaic modules , 2008 .

[29]  William A. Beckman,et al.  Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes, 2nd ed. , 1994 .

[30]  J. Apt,et al.  Economics of electric energy storage for energy arbitrage and regulation in New York , 2007 .

[31]  G. Meron,et al.  The effects on grid matching and ramping requirements, of single and distributed PV systems employing various fixed and sun-tracking technologies , 2010 .

[32]  Alan Goodrich,et al.  Photovoltaic (PV) Pricing Trends: Historical, Recent, and Near-Term Projections , 2014 .