Optimal Rooftop Photovoltaic System Placement To Minimize Monthly Used Energy Costs For Households In Vietnam’s Cities And Towns

Abstract

This study presents a strategy to stop paying monthly used energy costs for households in Vietnam’s cities and towns. To get there, the total energy cost acquired from the utility grid must equal the total extra energy supplied to the grid. In addition to the power consumption reduction from the grid for household cus- tomers, the extra energy produced by the rooftop photo- voltaic system (RPV) is sold back to the grid. This mechanism has effectively freed up the monthly en- ergy bill for individual customers. However, the op- timal rated power of the rooftop photovoltaic system (RPV) must first be determined. Two meta-heuristic algorithms, including the Coati optimization algorithm (COA) and the Osprey optimization algorithm (OOA), are implemented to solve the problem. The results obtained by the two algorithms are compared using different criteria. Through these comparisons, OOA completely outperforms COA regarding solution qual- ity and stabilization. For instance, OOA is the only method to reach the best optimal rated power of the RPV. Moreover, OOA is also more effective than COA with 50.17% on mean cost, 11.49% on maximum cost, and 17.06% on standard deviation. By using the solu- tion found by OOA, RPV not only fulfills the house- hold’s needs but also reduces the electric energy cost to zero. While evaluating a five-year operation period, the household can get the benefit of $3,635.64. So, using the RPV is very effective for reaching both economic and environmental benefits.