Optimal Load Management of Smart Homes considering PVs and Comfort of Residents

Demand side management (DSM) can be utilized in smart homes to reduce peak load and enhance the utilization of renewables. Detailed modeling of individual components and the comfort of residents are considered in this study to formulate an optimization model for DSM in the residential sector. Each household contains fixed and shiftable loads along with an electric vehicle (EV) and a storage unit. A public photovoltaics (PV) park is also considered, which can provide subsidized electricity to the residents. The input data from consumers is minimized to make the model easy to use for different types of consumers. For example, information of EV return time is used to schedule dishwashers and to set the indoor temperature of the rooms. Similarly, noisy equipment cannot be operated during sleeping time. The performance of the proposed model is evaluated for both weekdays and holidays. In addition, the impact of the presence of EVs and local storage on the operation cost of the smart home network is also analyzed.