Optimal operation of storage systems integrated with MV photovoltaic plants, using Jmodelica

In modern power systems, the energy storage technology provides new business opportunities to producers, consumers and to their combination (prosumers). In fact, storage not only enables them to provide the electric grid with regulation, reserve and backup services, but actually fills the gap between the timing of production and consumption. This gives concrete economic value to price arbitrage techniques, aimed at maximizing the profit obtained by properly charging or discharging the storage, based on the time variation of electricity prices and the local consumption/generation profile. This paper shows how to optimize the operation of a storage device in presence of a PV generating plant combined with a local industrial load. An optimization technique based on a dynamic programming tool, implemented with the open source Modelica language, is here proposed and tested on different case studies. Three patterns of electricity prices and two different losses models have been considered, as well as the dependence of the storage lifetime on the depth of discharge of its operational cycles. Finally, a payback analysis calibrated on present and future cost scenarios is presented and discussed.