Optimal scheduling of electric vehicles and photovoltaic systems in residential complexes under real-time pricing mechanism

Residential complexes (RCs) consisting of photovoltaic (PV) systems, wind turbines and electric vehicles (EVs), have been rapidly extended in energy systems in recent years. Optimal scheduling of local generation units can lead to economic improvement in RCs. In this regard, optimization of the performance of RCs appears to be necessary. Operators of RC energy systems equipped with local generation units can benefit from demand response programs (DRPs) to reduce their operating costs while satisfying energy demands. Within these programs, energy consumers are motivated to change their consumption in a way that economic targets are satisfied. In this paper, optimal operation of a grid-connected EV/PV RC energy system is studied under real-time pricing of a DRP. The studied RC energy system is equipped with PV units and EVs that can support RCs in supplying energy demands and providing economic benefits. The incorporated PV unit is modeled considering solar irradiance parameters and ambient temperature, which can lead to accurate simulation results. Moreover, the proposed model for EVs can enhance the efficient operation of RCs through optimal charge and discharge processes. Further, the optimal operation of energy systems integrated into RCs is modeled as mixed-integer linear programming (MILP). Additionally, a general algebraic modeling system (GAMS) is used to carry out simulations in different scenarios and the results are presented for comparison. For the studied test case, the total expected cost of RCs is reduced by 37.31%, which represents the influential impact of demand response on the optimal scheduling of DG units. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.