Volume 22: Sustainable Energy Solutions for a Post-COVID Recovery towards a Better Future: Part V

Energy Disaggregation with Reserve Power Estimation and Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring in Standalone Solar Photovoltaic Based Microgrid Gautam A. Raiker, Subba Reddy B, L. Umanand

Abstract

A major problem in Solar Photovoltaic (PV) based systems is the need for storage, which increases the system’s cost and complexity. In many applications like water pumping, desalination, and heating/cooling, it is only necessary to use solar energy as available due to the inherent storage capacity of these applications. In such applications, the effectiveness can be improved with proper energy management, which involves estimating the intermittent source, monitoring the loads, and reducing losses. This paper provides a solar reserve power estimate (RPE) metric for Standalone Solar Photovoltaic systems without storage which is an estimate of the availability of solar output measured with only the sensor voltage and current operating at any point. Load monitoring is implemented by non-intrusive techniques with Energy Disaggregation. Once supply and demand in a standalone system are estimated, it is possible to make intelligent decisions for maximum utilization of the Solar PV resource. A boost converter interface with PV provides the DC link voltage for the inverter. The system operation is validated experimentally for a 1kW standalone PV system.

Keywords Solar Photovoltaic (PV), Direct Coupled System, Reserve Power Estimation, Energy Disaggregation, Demand Side Energy Management, DC Boost Converter