Comparison of Battery Technologies for DC Microgrids with Integrated PV

Abstract

DC Microgrid with integrated photo-voltaics (PV) and battery storage system is a promising technology for future smart grid applications. This paper compares three battery storage technologies namely: lithium-ion (Li-ion), lead-acid, and vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) in the residential low-voltage dc grids, to increase the penetration of PV to improve self-sufficiency and grid independence. A multi-objective optimisation method is proposed to visualise the trade-offs between four objective functions: cost of electricity, energy autonomy, peak power reduction, and lifetime capital cost. The method is applied to a near-future scenario, based on a real residential feeder. Pareto fronts of the dominant designs are used to compare different battery technologies for this PV-battery integrated dc microgrid application. Additionally, the results provide insight into the dimensioning the battery, the PV, and the front-end ac-dc converter.