Solar and Battery Sizing for Maximum Savings Implementation in Malaysia’s Buildings

In the wake of global warming, the need to speed up the adoption of renewable energy is crucial. However, due to the absence of awareness of the financial benefits of a solar photovoltaic or energy storage investment, there is slow adoption of solar energy generation in Malaysia despite its yearlong sunny weather. As such, this paper focuses on the development of an optimization algorithm that can determine the optimum size of solar panels or energy storage systems coupled with optimal battery scheduling according to a load profile, for maximum bill savings. Mixed-integer linear programming models were developed on MATLAB and tested on a load curve taken from a rubber molding industry. Models were also validated using analytical methods to find the optimal size which provides most bill savings in the least number of years. In summary, the optimal sizing algorithm designed has proven to be effective in determining optimum sizes for solar, battery or both, complemented by battery charging and discharging schedule for maximum savings and minimum payback years.