Minimization of Residential Energy Costs for PV-SWH and PV-T Systems

摘要

Photovoltaic (PV) systems transfer solar energy into electric form. PV-T is a hybrid system that converts solar radiation into electrical and thermal energy. For residential users with limited solar panel area, there are two options to achieve economic use of solar energy. One is to install both PV and solar water heater (SWH) systems, called PV-SWH, another one is to apply the PV-T system. In this work, a residential household energy cost model is built up that includes electric vehicle (EV), energy storage system (ESS), and the back-up electricity system in PV-SWH or hybrid PV-T. The model is used to explore operation strategies to minimize user’s energy cost. The case study results suggest that the hybrid PV-T system provides more benefits for the end user from long-term perspective. Compared with typical operation without optimization, the cost saving with the proposed strategy is evident.