Commercial building demand-side management tools: requirements for dispatchable photovoltaic systems

Photovoltaic arrays with some form of storage or combined with direct load control can play a role in the electric utility market. It is essential for the technology to be able to service customer demands during the periods when utilities experience peak loads. The authors examine the potential for dispatchable, peak shaving PV arrays using storage, in terms of economic benefit, system requirements and potential for success. They conclude that use of the system as a dispatchable peak shaving tool provides much more value than PV systems built to maximize energy output only. Reductions of 30% in major systems components will enable the introduction of dispatchable peak shaving PV systems as a cost effective option for commercial buildings. Finally, the eventual inclusion of tax effects and environmental and fuel risk factors in the analysis will make these applications more cost effective for a wider range of applications