Benefits of Short-term PV Forecasting in a Remote Area Standalone Off-grid Power Supply System

The application of short-term PV forecasting in standalone off-grid power supply (SOPS) systems in remote electricity networks is an approach to enable higher levels of PV penetration without hampering the network stability. In this study, a diesel run remote electricity network has been considered where high levels of PV penetration has been found techno-economically feasible. Some unavoidable common scenarios, for example, maximum PV variability and abrupt load change have been considered in analyzing system performance and system stability. The application of short-term PV forecasting shows favorable outcomes when accommodating high PV variability and abrupt load fluctuation compared to the same system conditions when PV forecasting is not considered. The study contributes to the ongoing research of developing smart and efficient control mechanisms that enable higher levels of PV penetration in remote electricity networks worldwide.