article · Results in Engineering
Designing off-grid residential buildings that generate as much energy as they consume requires careful balancing of generation and storage across diverse environmental conditions. An optimisation study evaluated off-grid microgrid systems combining rooftop solar panels, building-integrated photovoltaics, and battery storage across six distinct climatic zones in Morocco. Using a particle swarm optimisation algorithm, the system design was configured to meet full residential demand at the lowest total annualised cost, accounting for hourly variations in solar availability and consumption. The addition of building-integrated photovoltaics improved the load cover factor by up to 2.58 percent while cutting the levelised cost of energy by 8.7 to 20.72 percent compared to conventional solar and battery setups. The resulting energy costs varied substantially by location, ranging from 0.366 dollars per kilowatt-hour in Ouarzazate to 0.664 dollars per kilowatt-hour in Ifrane.
Transitioning residential buildings from passive energy consumers into self-sufficient, carbon-free power generators is vital for sustainable development. This research provides a clear methodology for sizing off-grid hybrid solar and battery systems to match varying regional climates. Demonstrating that building-integrated solar reduces overall electricity costs makes off-grid net zero housing more economically viable for communities located far from the centralised electricity grid.
This research provides applied design guidelines and optimisation models that building developers, architects, and microgrid engineers can use to plan off-grid net zero housing in diverse climates. The findings indicate an applied, simulation-tested stage of development, ready to inform feasibility studies and technical specifications for residential construction projects seeking to integrate building-integrated photovoltaics alongside traditional rooftop installations and battery storage systems.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
An optimal sizing of an off-grid microgrid system composed of photovoltaic (PV)/building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV)/battery energy storage installation is undergone for Net Zero Energy Residential Building blocks across six different climates of Morocco in order to reach the objective of providing all energy load requirements at the minimum. The Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm is used to find the optimal sizing of the system, by considering the hourly spatiotemporal variations in both solar energy availability and energy demand variation, with the lowest Total Annualized Cost as the objective function and capacities of BIPV and battery as decision variables. The methodology adopted focuses on main load fulfillment through direct PV and BIPV power supply, backed by battery energy storage technology, to continually guarantee self-sufficiency. A key metric, the load cover factor, is introduced to quantify the ratio by which the load demand is satisfied by the solar PV and BIPV systems. The findings show that the optimal sizing of the BIPV system can help to improve the load cover factor by 0.68-2.58%. Moreover, integrating BIPV system to PV system and Battery leads to a reduction in the Levelized Cost of Energy with approximately 8.7-20.72 %, as opposed to utilizing only the PV system and battery. Depending on the local climate, the levelized cost of energy ranges from 0.366 $/kWh in Ouarzazate city up to 0.664 $/kWh.in Ifrane city. Lastly, this holistic approach aims to transform the building from its traditional role as an energy consumer to a carbon-free electricity generator.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1016/j.rineng.2024.102288
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
