Analysis of Photovoltaic Plants with Battery Energy Storage Systems (PV-BESS) for Monthly Constant Power Operation

Juan A. Tejero-Gómez and Ángel A. Bayod-Rújula ()
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Juan A. Tejero-Gómez: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Ángel A. Bayod-Rújula: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-22

Abstract: Photovoltaic generation is one of the key technologies in the production of electricity from renewable sources. However, the intermittent nature of solar radiation poses a challenge to effectively integrate this renewable resource into the electrical power system. The price reduction of battery storage systems in the coming years presents an opportunity for their practical combination with utility-scale photovoltaic plants. The integration of properly sized photovoltaic and battery energy storage systems (PV-BESS) for the delivery of constant power not only guarantees high energy availability, but also enables a possible increase in the number of PV installations and the PV penetration. A massive data analysis with long-term simulations is carried out and indicators of energy unavailability of the combined system are identified to assess the reliability of power production. The proposed indicators allow to determine the appropriate sizing of the battery energy storage system for a utility-scale photovoltaic plant in a planning stage, as well as suggest the recommended operating points made for each month through a set of graphs and indicators. The presence of an inflection zone has been observed, beyond which any increase in storage does not generate significant reductions in the unavailability of energy. This critical zone is considered the sweet spot for the size of the storage, beyond which it is not sensible to increase its size. Identifying the critical point is crucial to determining the optimal storage size. The system is capable of providing reliable supply of constant power in monthly periods while ensuring capacity credit levels above 95%, which increases the penetration of this renewable resource. Despite the fact that the study focuses exclusively on the analysis from an energy perspective, it is important to consider the constraints associated to real storage systems and limit their oversizing.

Keywords: constant power; firm energy; renewable energy integration; photovoltaic energy; battery energy storage system; energy storage; dispatchable energy with photovoltaic (PV); large-scale battery storage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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