OPTIMIZATION OF SOLAR PLUS STORAGE SYSTEM FOR PEAK DEMAND SHAVING CONSIDERING BUILDING RESILIENCY

This paper examines combining a small-scale battery storage with a solar photovoltaic (PV) system to achieve peak demand savings and building resiliency in a 7,500 square foot building. This research involved tracking load data for the building for a calendar year, developing a deterministic optimization model for battery operation and recommending load changes for the building. Initial attempts at modeling involved mimicking existing battery performance in terms of discharge/charge rates, as well as constructing basic operational parameters to make the model easy to use and modify on an as-needed basis. Over time, the model was continually revised as more data became available. Based on the final model, operational guidelines were created for the most efficient battery settings to maximize economic savings for a billing period. When combined with the elimination of excessive loads, the deterministic model's optimized settings showed that the installed 14.25 kWh battery could yield annual economic savings while operating at efficiencies above 90%. Combining the battery with solar PV increased savings through avoiding grid outages, resulting in potentially thousands of additional dollars in savings. This study provides useful insights on energy efficient management of a building's energy use to achieve demand shavings.