A Policy for Efficient Utilization of a Shared Energy Back-Up System

Due to frequent fail of electric mains power supply, energy backup systems are common in The Gaza Strip. A typical building consisting of 20 apartments and an elevator used to have a standby electric generator of about 60 to 100 kVA rating. The only control used in managing such a shared back-up system is through installing circuit breakers to limit the maximum current drawn by each apartment. Consequently, residents tend to consume the maximum allocated energy resulting in oversizing backup systems and squandering valuable energy resources. The situation becomes worse when the backup system comprises an off-grid photovoltaic (PV) system. A practical PV system on the roof of a typical building is in the range of 10kW making it hard to share without a smart management system. In this work a pricing policy is proposed for efficient management of such a shared power supply. This policy will be implemented using a programmable logic controller (PLC) accessible to the residents through a local area network to monitor their consumption and status on line. It is expected that this new system will add positively to residents' satisfaction, fairness, and efficient power utilization.