Optimization-based Residential Load Scheduling to Improve Reliability in the Distribution Grid

TL;DR

This paper proposes optimization algorithms to enhance the reliability of residential microgrids with rooftop solar PV, ensuring more consistent power supply during outages despite solar variability.

Contribution

It introduces three novel optimization algorithms to improve reliability in residential microgrids with solar PV, addressing intermittency and grid outages.

Findings

Most residential customers experience increased reliability with microgrid connection.

The algorithms effectively manage solar variability and outages.

Microgrid operation outperforms isolated self-consumption mode.

Abstract

Despite the recent rapid adoption of rooftop solar PV for residential customers, islanded operation during grid outages remains elusive for most PV owners. In this paper we consider approaches to improve the reliability of electricity supply in the context of a residential microgrid, consisting of a group of residential customers each with rooftop solar PV, that are connected to the distribution network via a single point of common coupling. It is assumed that there is insufficient PV generation at all times to meet the electricity demand within the residential microgrid. Three optimization-based algorithms are proposed to improve the reliability of electricity supply to each residential customer, despite variability and intermittency of the solar resource and periods of infrequent and sustained power outages in the electricity grid. By means of a case study we show that the majority of residential customers achieve greater reliability of uninterrupted electricity supply when connecting to the residential microgrid in comparison to operating in isolated self-consumption mode.