  The rising energy prices in Europe and the urgent need to address global
warming have sparked a significant increase in the installation of domestic
photovoltaic systems to harness solar energy. However, since solar energy is
available only during daytime hours and its availability varies daily,
effectively shifting energy use becomes crucial. Whilst batteries can assist in
storing excess energy, their high prices hinder their widespread adoption. In
this study, we explore the importance of load to maximise return on investment.
We propose an incremental approach to fitting load profiles into the production
envelope, allowing for practical implementation. We compare different meter
resolutions: 1 second, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, and 1 hour. Our analysis reveals
that making real-time decisions (per second) leads to significant energy
savings of 16\% compared to hourly decisions. Furthermore, we explore three
types of device management strategies: ON/OFF management independent of PV
production, ON/OFF management based on the current PV production, ON/OFF
management based on both current and forecasted PV production, utilising an
optimal fit algorithm. Through our study, we demonstrate that our
implementation of the third approach outperforms a standard management
approach, resulting in more than 17% cost savings. This study provides insights
into the optimisation of load-shifting strategies in domestic photovoltaic
installations, highlighting the importance of load control and the potential
benefits in maximising the utilisation of solar energy while minimising energy
costs and environmental impact.
