Self-Configurable Hybrid Energy Management System for Smart Buildings

Abstract

In recent years, solar power system installations are rapidly increased in domestic buildings. The Photovoltaic (PV) electricity produced in these systems is often underutilized due to the lack of adaptability to variations in load demand of the building appliances. The use of a building energy management and automation system (BEMAS) will make it possible to increase the consumption of PV electricity and to reduce the consumption of grid electricity. This paper presents a comprehensive BEMAS solution that autonomously controls the various parameters of solar inverters to reduce the under-utilization of PV power. The forecasting of PV power and load is carried out and then, by using a number of algorithms, human-centric demand-side management and efficient battery charging using solar inverters are performed. The major benefit achieved is the reduction of electricity cost by improving the contribution of PV power in grid-tied solar power systems.