Probabilistic techno-economic assessment of integrating a PV system with the possibility of flexible power point tracking applications

This paper proposes a method for planning the optimal capacities of a photovoltaic (PV) system and a battery energy storage system (BESS), ensuring compliance with all operational network constraints through the application of the flexible power point tracking (FPPT) algorithm for absolute active power control of the PV system. The considered constraints, related to the thermal loading of power lines, as well as the maximum permissible node voltages according to EN50160, are defined by standards governing the probabilistic behavior of the system within specific time intervals. The proposed methodology is based on a sequential Monte Carlo simulation and black-box optimization using the DIRECT (DIviding RECTangles) method. The main advantage of the simulator is that the key variables are treated as correlated stochastic processes rather than independent random variables. The objective of the proposed optimization is to maximize the profit of energy production and storage devices. The developed optimization procedure has been applied to determine the optimal configuration of the PV system for a predefined node in the IEEE 33 test system.