Energy storage for rooftop solar photovoltaic systems to reduce peak demand

More than one in five homes in South Australia have a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system and this number is expected to continually increase in the future. This paper investigates the possibility of storing the solar power generated during daytime and strategically releasing it during peak period to relieve stress on the national power grid. A small scale experimental setup with a battery storage is designed and developed for this purpose. The experimental results found are systematically described. The peak demand problem for South Australia power network and the challenges of reshaping the load curve through storing and releasing solar power are also discussed.