A min-conflict algorithm for power scheduling problem in a smart home using battery

Abstract

Scheduling operations of smart home appliances using an electricity pricing scheme is the primary issue facing power supplier companies and their users, due to the scheduling efficiency in maintaining power system and reducing electricity bill (EB) for users. This problem is known as power scheduling problem in a smart home (PSPSH). PSPSH can be addressed by shifting appliances operation time from period to another. The primary objectives of addressing PSPSH are minimizing EB, balancing power demand by reducing peak-to-average ratio (PAR), and maximizing satisfaction level of users. One of the most popular heuristic algorithms known as a min-conflict algorithm (MCA) is adapted in this paper to address PSPSH. A smart home battery (SHB) is used as an additional source to attempt to enhance the schedule. The experiment results showed the robust performance of the proposed MCA with SHB in achieving PSPSH objectives. In addition, MCA is compared with Biogeography based Optimization (BBO) to evaluate its obtained results. The comparison showed that MCA obtained better schedule in terms of reducing EB and PAR, and BBO performed better in improving user comfort.