SAN DIEGO DISTRIBUTED SOLAR PV FOR ELECTRICITY SYSTEM RESILIENCY
DISTRIBUTED SOLAR PV FOR ELECTRICITY SYSTEM RESILIENCY
Distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have the potential to supply electricity during grid outages resulting from extreme weather or other emergency situations. As
such, distributed PV can significantly increase the resiliency of the electricity system. In order to take advantage of this
capability, however, the PV systems must be designed with resiliency in mind and combined with other technologies,
such as energy storage and auxiliary generation. Strengthening policy and regulatory support could encourage
deployment of PV systems designed for resiliency and improve public access to power during emergencies.
This paper specifies the goals of power resiliency and explains the reasons that most distributed PV systems as installed today are technically incapable of providing consumer power during a grid outage. It presents the basics of designing distributed PV systems for resiliency, including the
use of energy storage, hybrid fuel-use and microgrids.1 The paper concludes with policy and regulatory considerations for
encouraging the use of these distributed system designs.
DESIGNING PV SYSTEMS TO PROVIDE
ENERGY RESILIENCY
Deploying solar PV technology in conjunction with energy storage, in combination with auxiliary generating sources, or within a microgrid allows solar to contribute to the resiliency by providing localize power when the grid is down. The
roles of these supporting technologies and applications are covered below.
ELECTRICITY STORAGE
Given the variable nature of renewable energy resources, including solar, energy storage is a necessary component for a distributed PV system to provide reliable power during a grid outage. Batteries are the most commonly used and well-suited storage technology for small, distributed solar PV applications, although other types of storage may be available for utility-scale systems.
Batteries are integrated with solar PV panels through the inverter. The inverter must be able to automatically select
between charging the batteries, providing electricity to the on-site load, and/or feeding electricity onto the grid. The function that is selected at any moment depends on electricity demand from the on-site load, the grid status, battery status, and the available solar resource.
“I usually think of these things as the overall finished system, so it’s hard to directly correlate these things,” this project as being cost-effective compared to the alternatives.”
Distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have the potential to supply electricity during grid outages resulting from extreme weather or other emergency situations. As
such, distributed PV can significantly increase the resiliency of the electricity system. In order to take advantage of this
capability, however, the PV systems must be designed with resiliency in mind and combined with other technologies,
such as energy storage and auxiliary generation. Strengthening policy and regulatory support could encourage
deployment of PV systems designed for resiliency and improve public access to power during emergencies.
This paper specifies the goals of power resiliency and explains the reasons that most distributed PV systems as installed today are technically incapable of providing consumer power during a grid outage. It presents the basics of designing distributed PV systems for resiliency, including the
use of energy storage, hybrid fuel-use and microgrids.1 The paper concludes with policy and regulatory considerations for
encouraging the use of these distributed system designs.
DESIGNING PV SYSTEMS TO PROVIDE
ENERGY RESILIENCY
Deploying solar PV technology in conjunction with energy storage, in combination with auxiliary generating sources, or within a microgrid allows solar to contribute to the resiliency by providing localize power when the grid is down. The
roles of these supporting technologies and applications are covered below.
ELECTRICITY STORAGE
Given the variable nature of renewable energy resources, including solar, energy storage is a necessary component for a distributed PV system to provide reliable power during a grid outage. Batteries are the most commonly used and well-suited storage technology for small, distributed solar PV applications, although other types of storage may be available for utility-scale systems.
between charging the batteries, providing electricity to the on-site load, and/or feeding electricity onto the grid. The function that is selected at any moment depends on electricity demand from the on-site load, the grid status, battery status, and the available solar resource.
“I usually think of these things as the overall finished system, so it’s hard to directly correlate these things,” this project as being cost-effective compared to the alternatives.”
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