This application is a sizing tool for distributed energy resources, enabling the cost-effective selection of green technologies ratings to reduce electricity cost in residential buildings. The tool utilizes real-life demand and generation profiles from an actual prosumer in Nicosia to estimate the electricity cost under different configurations and needs. 

The tool can be used to identify the appropriate dimensions/ratings of a Photovoltaic (PV) and Battery Storage System (BSS) to efficiently reduce electricity cost, while considering various static pricing schemes, such as Net-Metering or Net-Billing valid in Cyprus. Additionally, it demonstrates how an intelligent optimization-based energy management solution (i.e., WiseStorage) can be incorporated to further reduce electricity cost, compared to the standard self-consumption mode, especially under a variable pricing scheme, such as the case of Spain. 

Basic guidelines and steps are provided below:

Step 1: In the Household Occupants section, select the number of residents in the house and the charging pricing scheme for consumption (e.g., Cyprus – Static Price, or Spain – Dynamic Price).

Step 2: In the PV Installed section, choose the rated power of the Photovoltaic (PV) system to be installed (in kW) and the generation pricing scheme (e.g., Net-Metering, or Net-Billing).

Step 3: In the BSS section, select the rated capacity of the Battery Storage System (BSS) to be installed (in kWh). In this section, if the “Cyprus – Static Price” has been selected in Step 1, then the self-consumption operation of the BSS can only be evaluated. Otherwise, if the “Spain – Dynamic Price” has been selected in Step 1, then user can select between the “Self-consumption” and the “WiseStorage” mode in order to observe how an intelligent energy management tool (WiseStorage) can further reduce the electricity cost compared to the typical self-consumption mode. 

Step 4: The user can observe the expected annual electricity cost for the configured residential building for different cases: (a) without the addition of any green technologies (in upper left box), (b) with the addition of a PV system (in middle left box), and (c) with the addition of PV and BSS (in lower left box). In addition, representative daily profiles considering the load consumption, PV generation and BSS power operation can be observed (in the right box) under different season of day types. 

Step 5: The user can change the rated power of the PV system and the rated capacity of the BSS until the most cost-effective sizing is achieved considering the annual electricity cost, the required capital investment and the investment payback period. 

An example of the tool is demonstrated below, showing the electricity cost of a building with 4 occupants (under Cyprus Static Price), where a 5 kW PV system and a 6 kWh BSS (operate in self-consumption mode) have been installed in Net-Billing scheme. In this case the initial annual cost of electricity is 2909 €, while with the PV system is reduced to 1246 € and with the additional BSS the electricity cost is further reduced to 847 €.

For any clarification, please contact: cchara63@ucy.ac.cy or lhadji02@ucy.ac.cy