Strategies for correlating solar PV array production with electricity demand

One of the main advantages of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy is its availability during periods of high electricity demand, namely hot, sunny days. Unfortunately, the daily energy peak of a south-facing solar panel, oriented to maximize energy production, rarely coincides with the actual peak in electricity demand, which is usually in the late afternoon or evening. Using the Province of Ontario, Canada, as a case study, this paper evaluates three strategies for improving the correlation between PV energy production and electricity demand: optimally orienting PV modules, combining geographically dispersed arrays, and using a simple energy storage system. The strategies are compared based on their ability to improve the supply-demand correlation, their relative cost of energy, and the capacity credit of each strategy. We find that optimally orienting multiple modules in an array offers little potential to improve correlation, while the cost of energy increases between 30 and 40%. Geographically dispersed PV arrays and energy storage offer a better approach to improving the correlation between PV production and electricity demand.