Optimization of residential energy system configurations considering the bidirectional power supply of electric vehicles and electricity interchange between two residences

Electric vehicles (EVs) combined with bidirectional home chargers (vehicle-to-home (V2H) units) and electricity interchange between residences are promising options for the self-consumption of rooftop photovoltaics (PVs) in residences. Furthermore, considering that EVs have large storage capacities, one EV + V2H might support neighborhood-scale electricity storage by electricity interchange between residences, resulting in more cost-efficient self-consumption systems. Therefore, this paper investigates how permitting electricity interchange between residences affects the economically optimal design of distributed energy systems, such as PVs, EVs and V2H units. For this purpose, a mixed-integer linear programming model is developed to optimize the configurations and operation strategies of distributed energy resources (DERs) considering electricity interchange in neighborhoods. V2H units, which supply electricity from EVs to residences, are considered DER options independent of EVs. Furthermore, the optimization results are compared under two scenarios wherein electricity interchange is and is not permitted between two residences. The results indicate that permitting electricity interchange improves the self-consumption rate of PV power while reducing investment in storage facilities. The one influencing factor is sharing one EV + V2H between two residences and effectively utilizing the available storage capacity.