Effects of large-scale PV self-consumption on the aggregated consumption

Self-consumption is modifying the classical structure of the electrical grids worldwide. This energy supply method allows a distributed energy generation and the possibility of involving citizens in the electrical grid. Many countries have defined or are defining rules regarding self-consumption because of the evidence of its unstoppable growth. From the technical point of view, there are numerous associated advantages to the self-consumption, nevertheless it represents a new challenge in the management and design of the electrical grids. In general, the main generation technology for self-consumption is the PV energy. The PV generators are installed in a facility and their generation can be considered as a reduction on the local consumption or even negative consumption. Therefore, high penetration of PV self-consumption will modify the aggregated consumption shape of the electrical grid. The electrical grid should be able to respond to this new shape by adapting generation, controlling consumption or using storage systems. In this paper, we analyze the effects of high penetration of PV self-consumption on the aggregated consumption of the Spanish electrical grid. For this analysis we use historical solar resource data from different cities of Spain and historical data of the aggregated consumption of the country. The results show that PV self-consumption can smooth the aggregated consumption shape, mainly during summer periods. On the other hand, the PV self-consumption can increase the variability of the aggregated consumption shape for high penetration levels. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.