Overview

In this specialized laboratory, the optimal operation and sizing of a residential PV storage system is investigated. Students will explore strategies to operate a battery storage system under different objectives, such as minimizing cost or CO₂ emissions. Students will also be able to determine the optimal system design in terms of PV and storage capacity. 

The lab uniquely combines scientific literature analysis—using a research paper on residential PV systems as foundational knowledge—with real-world measurements and computer simulations. 

The lab consists of two main parts: 

1. Home Electricity Consumption Measurement: Students that prepare a report or a presentation collect a Shelly Plug device a couple of weeks prior to the scheduled lab session. The device will be used to measure and record the electricity consumption of various household appliances in their homes.
   
   Note: Interested students that do not prepare a report or a presentation can also collect a Shelly Plug (subject to stock availability).
    
2. Computersimulation: Using a Streamlit web application, students can simulate different operating strategies and system designs for residential PV-battery systems. This fully digital experiment allows for analyzing energy flows, costs, and emissions for various setups. Results are visualized within the app and can be downloaded for further analysis. The web application is available online: https://ee-fachlabor.streamlit.app/

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion, students will gain insight into the economic and environmental impacts of residential PV-battery systems, hands-on practical experience with electricity consumption measurements, develop advanced battery operating strategies and apply concepts from scientific literature to real-world energy systems.