Sensitivity Analysis of Time-of-Use Rates on Operations of Home Energy Management Systems

Widespread adoption of distributed energy resources, especially solar PV, is observed in present times for residential applications. A similar trend is observed with distributed storage. Falling energy storage costs, the intermittent nature of solar PV, and the mismatch between the solar output and residential load demand are promoting the use of storage. The self-sufficiency provided by the storage can lead to a strained relationship with the utility. In this paper, we develop a model predictive control based residential-scale DC-coupled PV-storage system and analyze the sensitivity of its daily operations to perturbations in the start time, duration, and value of the time-of-use rate along with the variations in the flat PV sell back price. The results can assist the process of designing effective tariff schemes, such that the rate structure is of significant value to the customers, as well as benefits the utility in achieving its goals.