BACKGROUNDAs module prices have continued to decline (Maycock, 1995), interest in the technical and economic feasibility of using dispatchable photovoltaic (DPV) systems in peak-shaving applications on commercial buildings has grown.Currently, the United States Department of Energy is supporting the development of an integrated DPV peak shaving (DPV-PS) system for the commercial buildings sector through the PV:BONUS Program. Modest amounts of battery storage are used in conjunction with a PV array to achieve firm peak-shaving for commercial building operators. The development of this system involves the collaborative effort of the following organizations:
Photovoltaic (PV) systems located at customer sites can be used to meet utility needs for demand-side management (DSM) applications. PV-DSM can also represent a high-value intermediate mrket for PV in the utility sector. Maximum value for PV in DSM applications can be achieved by incorporating a dispatching capability to PV systems (through the addition of storage). This enables utilities to evaluate PV systems as a peak-shaving technology. To date, peak-shaving has been the higher value DSM application for U.S. utilities. Our analysis of the value of dispatchable PV-DSM systems indicates that small-scale, customer-sited systems are approaching competitive cost levels in several regions of the U.S. that have favorable load matching and peak demand pricing characteristics. This paper presents the results for PV-DSM systems located within the service territories of five case study utilities.
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