Cost-Effective Photovoltaic Batteries and Smart Grid Energy Storage

This report, prepared by a student, investigates the research gap concerning cost-effective photovoltaic (PV) batteries within smart grid systems. The analysis highlights the increasing demand for smart energy solutions and the role of solar energy, while also addressing the challenges of its intermittency and regulation. The report critically examines existing literature, identifying a gap in research regarding the integration of PV batteries with smart grids, particularly focusing on power regulation and software-level optimization. The study emphasizes the need for research that ensures power is not supplied when the smart grid is inactive and that integrates software and hardware optimization for enhanced PV battery performance. The report explores the advantages of PV systems, such as environmental benefits and cost-effectiveness, while also acknowledging the disadvantages, including complexity and the lack of surplus energy generation. It concludes by posing key research questions on power supply control and software optimization to improve energy storage in smart grids, and includes a comprehensive list of references.

RESEARCH GAP
ASSIGNMENT NO: 1
NAME: FAREED
STUDENT ID: 218669759

COST EFFECTIVE PHOTOVOLTAIC BATTERIES WITH THE ENHANCEMENT IN
THE ENERGY STORAGE OF THE SMART GRID
Smart grid:
With increasing demand for smart energy solution, smart grid are finding popularity into power sectors
due to smarter energy management. Although solar energy is an important part of the renewable
energy production. However one of the major problem of solar energy is that it is not only inconsistent,
it is often hard to regulate as it is dependent on environmental conditions.
It is not possible to capture solar energy in night and it is also difficult to capture it during day as well
when there is cloud or rain. Hence this presents a significant challenge for implementing solar energy for
commercial applications. Hence it should be made sure that energy that is stored is not wasted and also
it is stored in proper way [14]. Hence consideration for PV batteries for storing energy in smart grid
should be critically analysed to identify issues in this process and also it is important to identify if there
are ways to improve this system with further research.
Although solar energy is infinite and economical, the main issue is integration of photovoltaic cell with
smart grid. Most of the studies that are conducted in this aspect are mainly focused on benefits of
integrating photovoltaic cell with smart grid [15]. The literatures that are identified in this context also
include articles that have discussed about integration challenges.
Most of the research is focused on achieving optimization while considering energy storage options for
smart grid with little focus on challenges that the new system brings for achieving optimization ([1], [2],
[3], [4]). Some of the articles that have been reviewed in this paper have proposed the photovoltaic
inverter system (PVI) for converting dc power that is produced by the PV arrays ([5], [6], [7]). Some
articles have proposed for regulating power generation with no significant detailing on how to achieve
this at application level ([8], [9]).
However, when new insight is presented in a technically complex project it is not enough to rely on the
benefits that the technique will insure, it is also important to critically analyse challenges that the new
system brings [10]. However none of the article have introduced a key issues that is involved in this
process. One significant challenge when DC power is converted into AC to feed to the utility grid
integrated with the smart grid system is proper regulation of power. Now one major requirement of this
process is that there should be proper mechanism that instruct the system to stop delivering power to
the grid when utility grid is not energized. Not only it will regulate power properly, but it will also ensure
less energy wastage which is required for effective application of smart grid [14].
Hence a research is needed in this context which offers proper way to integrate this feature in PV based
smart grid for storage of energy. From many researches is has been seen that the photovoltaic battery
system have various types of advantages. The main advantage of PV system option is the green
environment. As this system generates electricity directly from the sunlight it helps to create a green
environment. Another advantage this photovoltaic battery system are the power designated

applications, stores energy due to the outage and this PV is also able to send the excess energy to the
power grid. The PV is also beneficial as this system is very much cost effective and cost regarding
maintenance is very much low. The PV also eliminates the dependency regarding utility. With these
advantages the main disadvantages of the PV is that it is very much complex in nature and backup is not
possible during the outage though the sun is shining bright outside. Another main disadvantage in this
case is that the PV direct is not able to create any type of energy surplus.
There might be some instances when a grid does not operate properly in the smart grid network due to
some fault or due to some utility scheduled services [13]. In order to ensure proper power management,
it is also required to ensure that, when grid is not present and active in the network, the information
should be available to grid interactive PV inverters or energy storage. If energy is provided even when it
is not required it will waste stored energy. Now the major motivation for implementing smart grid based
energy storage is to intelligently store and distribute energy. Hence this issues is a significant aspect in
this context which needs detailed research.
However, only hardware level optimization is not going to work here, proper software level integration
is also required [10]. None of the previous research have extensively talked about this which makes it
difficult for most of the service providers to integrate this facility and achieve software level controlling
and monitoring. Hence a research should be conducted in this regard for easier implementation. Smart
grids are based on digital technologies and it facilities communication between consumers and power
suppliers. Hence, proper software compatibility is a major requirement here. It is not possible through
hardware based monitoring and controlling [11]. Now this might seems to have no effect of
enhancement of PV based energy storage batteries because those are considered to be hardware level
components. However performance of smart grid is closely related to proper management of energy
stored in the PV based battery. how energy is extracted from PV based battery as per the requirement is
closely dependent on how smart grids receive and process request for power supply and this process
involves proper coordination of smart sensors, computer and computer networks which is not possible
to manage properly without robust software infrastructure [12]. Hence proper interface should be
designed between PV based arrays and power management software for enhancing performance of the
PV battery for storing energy in the smart grid. During the energy gathering time the PV system analyses
whether the generated energy can be used for household use of not. Here the surplus energy is directly
stored to the battery. In the events when the battery is fully charged the excess energy goes to the
smart grid machine.
So the research questions as identified from the analysis of the research gap are:
 How to ensure that power is not supplied when smart grid is not active
 How to ensure software level optimization along with hardware level optimization for enhancing
performance of the PV based battery for storing energy in the smart grid

References
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EPIA, “Global market outlook for
photovoltaics until 2016,”
EPIA Report, May (2012)
EPIA, “Global market outlook for
photovoltaics until 2016,”
EPIA Report, May (2012)
EPIA, “Global market outlook for
photovoltaics until 2016,”
EPIA Report, May (2012)
EPIA, “Global market outlook for
photovoltaics until 2016,”
EPIA Report, May (2012)