Towards 24/7 solar energy utilization: The Masdar institute campus as a case study

Abstract

In addition to the cost, storage of energy from solar generators remains a critical problem that is preventing the solar industry from reaching its full potential. Storage technologies are expensive and may not be suitable for large scale installations. Recent research suggests that electric vehicles (EVs) can be used for matching power demand with generation from distributed PV installations. This approach, called Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), has never been demonstrated on a residential district to make it independent of the grid. In this study, we adopt the V2G concept and apply it to the Masdar Institute (MI) campus. Our aim is to investigate the feasibility of powering MI campus 24/7 from its own rooftop solar installations by using its EVs infrastructure for storage. The results showed that the generation and EV infrastructure already in place can power MI campus for 1 to 7 hrs of storage time, respectively. We have also conducted a feasibility and cost analysis to achieve 24/7 solar energy utilization by using different types of EVs. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.