Microcontroller based battery controller for peak shaving integrated with Solar Photovoltaic

In this study, a microcontroller based controller for Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) integrated with Solar Photovoltaic (PV) system was designed and developed. Microcontroller is chosen because of its features suit perfectly for the complexity and flexibility of the developed controller. The BESS uses a valve-regulated lead acid battery and the controller working principle is based on peak shaving application. Thus, the main function of the controller is to control the battery charging and discharging process to fulfill the peak demand, hence prolong battery lifetime. This work is divided into two main parts, the hardware and software development. The hardware development includes solar PV, battery and load connection, charging, discharging, and control circuits. The software consists of microcontroller programming and controller algorithms. In addition, LCD module and LED are also included for display and status indicator purpose. Based on the testing result, the developed battery controller is suitable to perform the peak shaving application. Moreover, the controller performance is also fast and efficient with its simultaneous operation based on the changes of load demand. Overall, cost saving, reduction in utility bills and a user friendly system were achieved with the developed battery controller.