Optimal load scheduling for off-grid photovoltaic installations with fixed energy requirements and intrinsic constraints

Abstract

Solar energy is one of the most promising green energy sources. On-grid photovoltaic installations supply energy to consumers as a support energy source, but in isolated areas, it comes as the unique source. The decision-maker must dimension the installation, maintaining system performance with reasonable investments. In some scenarios, the utility manager can handle the energy delivered to consumers as every subsystem can be independently connected. A strategy for scheduling the energy consumption to decrease the number of photovoltaic modules required in a standalone system is proposed here. The problem formulation corresponds to generalising a more specific problem before published. We presented a real case study being the groups of hydrants that provide water to crops in a pressurized irrigation system for energy consumption to schedule.