A comparative study of demand-side energy management strategies for building integrated photovoltaics-battery and electric vehicles (EVs) in diversified building communities

This study compares four developed energy management strategies for a grid-connected photovoltaic-battery (PVB) system in a district energy system comprising four diverse building communities: campus, residential, office, and commercial. The proposed demand-side energy management scenarios include maximizing photovoltaic self-consumption, cost minimum strategy under time-of-use and two peer-to-peer (P2P) strategies (a MidMarket Rate (MMR) and a novel demand response (DR) based P2P strategies). Besides, Monte Carlo integrated Markov Chain simulation method was applied to calculate the load distribution of integrated electric vehicles in diversified building communities, and P2P price was generated considering dynamic supply-demand ratio. In term of dynamic energy flow, energy cost and grid interaction, dispatch results of proposed management strategies were simulated and compared in detailed. The results demonstrate that compared to the mainstream MSC and TOU operation strategies, P2P strategies, especially the DR based P2P strategy, effectively alleviate pressure on the utility grid by actively responding to peak electricity demand and utilizing excess renewable energy generation from other communities. It is worth noting that the choice of strategy depends on the role of the building community, whether as a consumer or a prosumer. This study offers insights for decision-makers and stakeholders in managing grid-connected PVB district energy systems in diverse building communities.