On the integration of solar PV and storage batteries within a microgrid

The present paper investigates the role of energy storage systems within microgrids characterized by the presence of power plants fed by renewable sources. In particular, the analysis is focused on microgrids where photovoltaic fields coupled with storage batteries are used to satisfy the energy loads of a well-defined area, such as a urban district or a campus. A linear programming mathematical model is proposed to daily manage the microgrid and, specifically, to determine the optimal charging and discharging of storage batteries in order to compensate the variability of loads and of the photovoltaic production. The reported case study is relative to a microgrid located in the North of Italy and the analysis of results refers to a period of one month. Different scenarios are described and the main advantages due to the installation of a storage system are highlighted.