Correlation study of residential community demand with high PV penetration

Residential demands are an important part of the overall electricity demand. There is a lack of research in community demand correlation, especially when PV penetration is high. This study devised a systematic approach to study the spatial and temporal correlation of high PV penetration community demand within residential neighbourhoods, with zone and regional demand. Results show residential demands in adjacent buses are highly correlated; however, demand changes at 1-minute intervals show little correlation, indicating a random nature of switching actions. The high PV penetration community demands are not highly correlated with zone or regional demand at present but trend lines indicate an increasing correlation between community demand and regional demand. Further, this study confirmed dry bulb temperature remained as an important factor for both peak demand and energy bill in the community of high PV penetration. This study helps improve the understanding of residential community demand characteristics and assists the management of peak demand and energy for community and distribution network.