Reduction of PV Curtailment through Optimally Sized Residential Battery Storage

The proliferation of rooftop solar PV has caused reverse power flow in low voltage distribution networks leading to elevated voltage levels. As the voltage is raised, PV inverters reduce output power to combat voltage rise and may result in inverter shutdowns causing PV curtailment (loss of PV output power). Residential battery storage can store excess PV energy and hence reduce reverse power flow, overvoltage and PV curtailment. This study aims to determine the reduction in PV curtailment achieved by the installation of optimally sized residential battery storage. A method to calculate the reduction in PV curtailment and the reduction in corresponding financial losses incurred by PV owners and the energy market is presented. The method is applied to an 11-kV feeder in South Australia along with prevailing feeder and inverter voltage limits. Results show that with the installation of optimally sized battery storage, PV curtailment and the corresponding financial losses can be reduced by more than 50%.