Photovoltaic power generation with mobile energy storage

Due to the variable nature of the photovoltaic generation, energy storage is imperative, and the combination of both in one device is appealing for more efficient and easy-to-use devices. Among the myriads of proposed approaches, there are multiple challenges to overcome to make these solutions realistic alternatives to current systems.

This critical literature review serves as a guide to understand the characteristics of the approaches followed to integrate photovoltaic devices and storage in one device, shedding light on the improvements required to develop more robust products for a sustainable future.

Establishing a pre-positioning method for mobile energy storage systems. Modeling flexible resources and analyzing their supply capabilities. Coordinating the operation of mobile energy storage systems with other flexible resources. Enhancing the resilience of the distribution network through bi-level optimization.

For devices with lower self-discharging values like electrochemical cells (batteries), the electrical energy produced by a PV generator could be stored immediately for later use, or the battery could supply the energy accumulated in previous times to complement the generation.

As mentioned before, there is a natural mismatch between solar cells and storage devices. Even if in theory the voltages of both of them are comparable, the system efficiency can be improved by incorporating power electronics units in order to control the storage charging and discharging process.

While some prototypes or existent products do not include all the components of the PV-storage system, previous efforts have been made either by integrating PV and power electronics converters, (131 - 133) or by combining power electronics and energy storage 134 in one device.