Solarific

In the UK there are now huge grid connection constraints for grid export only solar PV systems with export limits frequently imposed. Faced with needing to shift power to limit export and stay inside the DNO cap, battery storage is the obvious route to go as this can peak shave generation without the need for down regulation in many cases. Why can't PVSOL allow me to simulate a PV plus battery storage system with a grid export limit where there is no on site demand load? PVsyst allows this but isn't as user friendly as PVSOL. Quite a lot of the new release features PVSOL includes periodically are of little or no value and I struggle to understand why time has been spent adding minor tweaks for domestic scale PV systems when the issue I have highlighted is a very frequent occurrence for PV designers and installation companies in the commercial scale system sector. Surely it isn't that hard to write a program to simulate diverting surplus generation into battery storage for later export to grid?

In the UK National Grid is effectively blocking utility scale 11kV solar PV projects from connecting to the grid because of the need for high level reinforcement. Many of these schemes could go ahead with grid export limitation and using battery energy storage to power shift in order to avoid down regulation and loss of generation. In trying to use PVSOL to model a PV + battery system and setting a maximum grid export power limit, I find that the software only allows a battery system to be added against a demand load. Please can you add the ability for a battery system to be used for the example I have described as this would add a significant dimension to the usefulness of PVSOL. At the same time please can you add a battery charge / discharge strategy so that power shifting by overnight lower tariff grid energy with daytime discharge can be simulated as well as power shifting peak daytime solar generation to the higher value late afternoon / early evening discharge period. These features are available in PVsyst for example and surely aren't that difficult to add?

Does anyone know if PVSOL is able to model DC couple battery energy storage systems? In the UK DNOs regard AC coupled BESS inverters as generators and DC couple BESS can also make use of DC power shaved off at peak generation by undersized AC inverters

Does anyone know if PVSOL can be used to simulate a battery energy system for grid export use only with export set to 4.30 - 7pm in the evening? Also can the battery system be simulated to charge overnight where there is a cheaper grid import rate after midnight?