Photovoltaic research and demonstration activities at New England Electric

From 1985 onward, New England Electric has carried out and supported a wide range of research, development and demonstration projects related to the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy. This paper describes each project and summarizes performance to date. Several projects embody the concepts of distributed generation (DG) and demand-side management (DSM) as well as utilization of renewable energy. These residential and commercial grid-connected PV systems have reduced electrical demand at each site during the Company´s summer peak hour from 1986 through 1993. In addition, during many of the hours around noon the residential systems have provided all of the energy for neighboring homes without PV systems. Transmission and distribution losses associated with the normal supply of energy to these sites was therefore minimized during these hours. On-site production of electricity via photovoltaics may also result in significant environmental benefits, particularly in summer, through displacement of energy from fossil-fueled peaking units. Other types of projects discussed include (1) a solar monitoring network, with simulation of electrical output for three types of PV systems, (2) a unique PV-assisted DC lighting system for a commercial building, (3) a large (100 kW) ground-mounted PV system, (4) a combination solar-PV and solar-thermal system, and (5) development of a single-module inverter