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Design of a Photovoltaic System as an Alternative Source of Electrical Energy

for Powering the Lighting Circuits for Premises in Ghana

Article  in  Journal Electrical and Electronic Engineering · January 2014

DOI: 10.11648/j.jeee.20140201.12

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Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
2014; 2(1): 9-16
Published online February 28, 2014 (http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/jeee)
doi: 10.11648/j.jeee.20140201.12

Design of a photovoltaic system as an alternative source

of electrical energy for powering the lighting circuits for
premises in Ghana
Christian Kwaku Amuzuvi*, Emmanuel Effah
University of Mines and Technology, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Tarkwa, Ghana

Email address:
[email protected] (C. K. Amuzuvi), [email protected] (C. K. Amuzuvi)

To cite this article:

Christian Kwaku Amuzuvi, Emmanuel Effah. Design of a Photovoltaic System as an Alternative Source of Electrical Energy for Powering
the Lighting Circuits for Premises in Ghana. Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Vol. 2, No. 1, 2014, pp. 9-16.
doi: 10.11648/j.jeee.20140201.12

Abstract: This paper seeks to emphasise the tendency of the use of solar energy as an alternative source of energy for
today as far as the lighting needs of a particular infrastructure is concerned. It compares the use of a Photovoltaic (PV)
System and an existing 60 kVA generator that powers a premise. The paper provides a general understanding of a solar
energy (renewable energy) and how photovoltaic technology can be practically applied to power the lighting needs of the
premise. Analysis of the site, weather data, and the design predicted the value of the photovoltaic system as an economic
investment. We present the analysis undertaken using the PVSYST software package to optimize the system design for the
premise. The simulation and calculation was done with the consideration of a PV array’s tilt and direction and economic
considerations. The proposed photovoltaic system for the premise, with 30 units of battery capacity of 17850 Ah, an
inverter size of 132 kW and a minimum number of 8 modules at 12.53 kWp was sufficient for the proposed design. The
output analysis when implemented will result in a substantial lifetime energy savings, improving reliability and provide a
great impact on the environment. It is therefore worthwhile to invest in photovoltaic renewable energy systems to augment
the energy needs of locations where its use is viable.

Keywords: Standby Generator, Changeover, Automatic, Microcontroller, Switching, Firmware, Uninterruptible

hydropower and wind energy for movement and later for

1. Introduction electricity production [4]. As the rate of energy consumption
Energy plays a pivotal role in our daily activities. For this increases, supply is depleting resulting in energy shortage.
reason, the degree of development and civilization of a This has brought about what is called an energy crisis [5].
country is measured by the amount of utilization of energy The need therefore for an energy mix through alternative or
by it citizenry. Energy demand is increasing day in day out renewable sources of energy cannot be overemphasised in
due to increase in population, urbanization and meeting future energy requirement.
industrialization with its concomitant lifestyle. The world’s Ghana has developed a Strategic National Energy Plan
fossil fuel supply e.g. coal, petroleum and natural gas will (2006-2020) [6] with issues concerning energy efficiency,
thus be depleted in a few hundred years [1]. electrification, elimination of power shortage and
All forms of energy can be harnessed and stored in liberalisation of the power generation market, which will
different ways. Energy sources are classified into two groups: allow independent power producers to add their generated
renewable (an energy source that can be used over and over power to the national grid. The government proposes the
again) and non-renewable (the energy source that is used up addition of 10% of the energy need with renewable energy,
and cannot be recreated in a short period of time) energy [2]. where the average yearly growth for the total energy demand
Renewable energy sources have been utilized by is 5% and the growth of electricity consumption is more than
humankind since the beginning of civilization [3]. For 10% [7].
centuries and in many ways, biomass has been used for The earth receives 174 petawatts (pW) of incoming solar
heating, cooking, steam rising and power generation; radiation at the upper atmosphere; consequently, 30% is
reflected back to space while the rest is absorbed by the
10 Christian Kwaku Amuzuvi and Emmanuel Effah: Design of a Photovoltaic System as an Alternative Source of
Electrical Energy for Powering the Lighting Circuits for Premises in Ghana

clouds, oceans and land masses [8]. The spectrum of solar Figure 2 shows a typical solar photovoltaic plant.
light at the Earth’s surface is mostly visible and near infrared
ranges with a small part in the near-ultraviolet [9]. The total
solar energy absorbed by the earth’s atmosphere, oceans and
land masses is approximately 3,850,000 exajoules (eJ) per
year [8]. The amount of solar energy reaching the surface of
the planet is so vast that in one year, it is about twice as much
as will ever be obtained from all of the earth’s non-renewable
resources of coal, oil, natural gas etc. Solar energy can be
harnessed at different levels around the world mostly
depending on the distance from the equator [10].

2. Materials and Methods

Various types of renewable energy sources such as Figure 2. Solar Photovoltaic Plant [9].
geothermal, ocean tides, wind and sun have geographical
limitations, but solar energy has less geographical limitation 2.2. Photovoltaic System
as compared to other non-conventional energy sources
Photovoltaic offer the ability to generate electricity in a
because solar energy is available over the entire globe. It is
clean, quiet and reliable way. Photovoltaic systems are
the size of the collector field that needs to be increased to
comprised of photovoltaic cells and devices that convert
provide the same amount of heat or electricity. It is free,
light energy directly into electricity. Because the source of
inexhaustible, non-polluting and devoid of political control.
light is usually the sun, they are often called solar cells. The
2.1. Ways for Converting Solar Energy into Electrical word photovoltaic comes from “photo” meaning light and
Energy “voltaic” which refers to producing electricity [2].
Photovoltaic is often referred to as PV.
There are two ways by which we can convert solar energy
into electrical energy: by solar thermal or solar photovoltaic 2.2.1. Photovoltaic Cell
systems. It is a device that produces an electric reaction to light,
producing electricity. PV cells do not use the sun’s heat to
2.1.1. Solar Thermal produce electricity. They produce electricity directly when
The solar collectors concentrate sunlight to heat a heat sunlight interacts with semiconductor materials in the PV
transfer fluid to a high temperature. The hot heat transfer cells [2]. A typical PV cell made of crystalline silicon is 12
fluid is then used to generate steam that drives the power centimeters in diameter and 0.25 millimeters thick. In full
conversion subsystem, producing electricity. Thermal sunlight, it generates 4 amperes of direct current at 0.5 volts
energy storage provides heat for operation during periods or 2 watts of electrical power [8].
without adequate sunshine. Figure 1 shows the solar thermal
system for generating electrical energy. 2.2.2. Types of Photovoltaic Cells
There are essentially two types of PV technology; the
thin-film type and the crystalline type. In the thin film type,
the PV is made by depositing an ultra-thin layer of
photovoltaic material onto a substrate. The most common
type of thin-film PV is made from amorphous silicon, but
numerous other materials such as copper indium/gallium
dieseline (CIGS), copper indium selenite (CIS), Cadmium
Teluride (CdTe), dye-sensitised cells and organic solar cells
are also possible [8].
2.2.3. Photovoltaic Modules
PV cells are the basic building blocks of PV modules. For
almost all applications, the one-half volt produced by a
single cell is inadequate. Therefore, cells are connected
together in series to increase the voltage. Several of these
Figure 1. Solar Thermal Energy System [9].
series strings of cells may be connected together in parallel
to increase the current as well [11].
2.1.2. Solar Photovoltaic
These interconnected cells and their electrical
Another way to generate electricity from solar energy is to
connections are then sandwiched between a top layer of
use photovoltaic cells; magic slivers of silicon that converts
glass or clear plastic and a lower level of plastic or plastic
the solar energy falling on them directly into electricity.
 Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering 2014; 2(1): 9-16 11

and metal. An outer frame is used to house the module to example curve is where the voltage is 17 volts, and the
increase mechanical strength, and to provide a way to mount current is 2.5 amps. Therefore the maximum power in watts
the unit. This package is called a module or panel. The is 17 volts times 2.5 amps, equaling 42.5 watts.
amount of current produced is directly proportional to the The power, expressed in watts, at the maximum power
cell’s size, conversion efficiency, and the intensity of light. point is described as peak, maximum, or ideal among other
For example, groups of 36 series connected PV cells are terms. The current-voltage (I-V) curve is primarily based on
packaged together into standard modules that provide a the module being under standard conditions of solar
nominal 12 volt (or 18 volts at peak power) [2]. radiation and module temperature.

2.2.4. Performance of a Photovoltaic Module 2.3. Photovoltaic Array

The performance of PV modules and arrays are generally The desired power, voltage and current, can be obtained
rated according to their maximum DC power output (watts) by connecting individual PV modules in series and parallel
under Standard Test Conditions (STC). STC are defined by a combinations in much the same way as batteries. When
module (cell) operating temperature of 25°C (77°F), and modules are fixed together in a single mount, they are called
incident solar irradiance level of 1000 W/m2 (sun’s a panel and when two or more panels are used together, they
insolation) and under air mass of 1.5 spectral distribution. are called an array as shown in Figure 4. Single panels are
Since these conditions are not always typical of how PV also called arrays. When circuits are wired in series (positive
modules and arrays operate in the field, actual performance to negative), the voltage of each panel is added but the
is usually 85 to 90% of the STC rating [12]. A photovoltaic amperage remains the same. When circuits are wired in
module will produce its maximum current when there is parallel (positive to positive, negative to negative), the
essentially no resistance in the circuit. Figure 3 depicts a voltage of each panel remains the same and the amperage of
graph called an I-V (current-voltage) curve. each panel is added. This wiring principle is used to build
This would be a short circuit between its positive and PV modules. PV modules can then be wired together to
negative terminals. This maximum current is called the short create PV arrays.
circuit current, abbreviated Isc which is the current when
voltage is zero. Conversely, the maximum voltage is
produced when there is a break in the circuit. This is called
the open circuit voltage, abbreviated Voc. Under this
condition the resistance is infinitely high and there is no
current, since the circuit is incomplete [13].
These two extremes in load resistance, and the whole
range of conditions in between them, are depicted on a graph
called an I-V (current-voltage) curve. Current, expressed in
amps, is on the vertical Y-axis. Voltage, in volts, is on the
horizontal X-axis as shown in Figure 3. As seen in Figure 3,
the short circuit current occurs on a point on the curve where
Figure 4. Cells, Modules and PV Arrays [9].
the voltage is zero. The open circuit voltage occurs where
the current is zero. The power available from a photovoltaic 2.4. Types of Photovoltaic System
module at any point along the curve is expressed in watts. At
both the short circuit current point and the open circuit There are basically three types of photovoltaic systems.
voltage point, the power output is zero. They include the grid connected PV system, stand-alone
system and the hybrid system.

Figure 5. Grid Connected PV Systems [14].

Figure 3. Standard V-I characteristic Curve of a PV Module [2].
2.4.1. Grid Connected PV Systems
There is a point on the knee of the curve where the These systems are connected to a broader electricity
maximum power output is located. This point on the network. The PV system is connected to the utility grid using
12 Christian Kwaku Amuzuvi and Emmanuel Effah: Design of a Photovoltaic System as an Alternative Source of
Electrical Energy for Powering the Lighting Circuits for Premises in Ghana

a high quality inverter, which converts DC power from the photovoltaic conversion are solar panels, batteries,
solar array into AC power that conforms to the grid’s regulators/controllers, invertors and load as summarized in
electrical requirements. the block diagram of Figure 8. For a reliable generation
During the day, the solar electricity generated by the system that can function independent of the utility grid,
system is either used immediately or sold off to electricity batteries may be a viable component to the total system [14].
supply companies. In the evening, when the system is unable Back-up generators may be included in a system to provide
to supply immediate power, electricity can be bought back power when the PV system is not operating, and are
from the network as shown in Figure 5. generally included when systems are not grid connected.
2.4.2. Stand-Alone Systems
PV systems not connected to the electric utility grid are
known as off grid PV Systems and also called stand-alone
systems. Direct systems use the PV power immediately as it
is produced, while battery storage systems can store energy
to be used at a later time, either at night or during cloudy
weather conditions. These systems are used in isolation of
electricity grids, and may be used to power radio repeater
stations, telephone booths and street lighting. Figure 6
shows a typical off grid PV systems.

Figure 8. Block diagram of a PV system.

3. Results and Discussion

In order to ensure that there are no defects or inefficiency
in the PV system which is usually caused by poor
maintenance or ageing of its components [14], it is essential
to collect accurate data for the long term performance
analysis of the system. To achieve this, the solar radiation at
Figure 6. Off Grid PV Systems [15].
the premise and the load data were collected and analysed.

Figure 7. Hybrid Power System [8].

2.4.3. Hybrid System

A hybrid system combines the PV with other forms of
power generation usually a diesel generator. Biogas can also
used.
The other form of power generation is usually a type, Figure 9. Graph of Daily Solar Radiation and Ambient Temperature
which is able to modulate the power output as a function of Records Summarized By Mean Monthly.
demand. However, more than one form of renewable energy
3.1. Solar Radiation at the Premise
may be used e.g. wind and solar [16]. The photovoltaic
power generation serves to reduce the consumption of The average daily solar irradiation and temperature is 4.5
non-renewable fuel. Figure 7 shows a typical hybrid system. kWh/m2/day and 25.1°C respectively with monthly average
daily sunshine ranging from 6 hours to 8 hours. Figure 9
2.5. Elements included in a System of Photovoltaic
displays the average solar energy per square meter per day in
Conversion
any given month. The amount of power produced by a PV
The main elements that can be included in a system of panel depends upon the amount of solar irradiation and
 Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering 2014; 2(1): 9-16 13

temperature. The output result is used to directly compare approach with a guide in the development of this paper
with electricity bills paid monthly to the ECG. providing results in the form of a full report, specific graphs
and tables. Figure 10 shows the circuit diagram of the
3.2. Load Data proposed PV design using the PVSYST V5.0 software.
Eight (8) hours of operational time was chosen for each The hardware components include; the PV modules,
illuminant. The number of lamps in the various parts of the battery, charge controller, inverter, wires and cables and
premise and the total energy consumption of each type of other safety and auxiliary components. The main purpose of
lamp were analysed. The total daily energy utilization of the a charge controller is to prevent the battery from being
premise for eight hours is 3348 Wh. With the load under- or overcharged.
assessment detail in hand, the total Watt-hours per day The inverter is also used in the system where AC power
needed from the PV modules was calculated by multiplying output is needed. The input rating of the inverter should
the daily energy utilized (DEU) per day by 1.3 (this is the never be lower than the total wattage of the appliances to be
standard energy lost in a PV system taking into account the used. The inverter must have the same nominal voltage as
wasted energy from wiring, charge controllers, batteries and the battery with the size 25-30% bigger than the total watts
inverters) to get the total Watt-hours per day which must be of the appliances [18].
provided by the panels [17]. Therefore, 3348 Wh/day×1.3 = All inverters have a continuous rating and a surge rating.
43534.4 = 43.53 kWh/day. The surge rating is usually specified at so many watts for so
many seconds. This means that the inverter will handle an
overload of that many watts for a short period of time. This
surge capacity will vary considerably between different
types of inverters, even within the same brand. Generally, a 3
to 15 second surge rating is enough to cover 99% of all
appliances.
The wires and cables used in this design must be in
compliance with the National Electrical Code with color
codes to designate its function and use. The conductor
material was copper which is the most common with
thermoplastic being the insulation material.
3.4. Sizing of Components and System Design

With the aid of the PVSYST V5.0, specifications, sizing

and configurations of the major components with the
exception of the invertor explained above were achieved.

3.4.1. Estimation of Electric Load on a Daily Basis

The first step required for gathering the energy load data
is to find the overall amount of energy that the premise can
store. This step also identifies opportunities for efficiency
improvements and paves the way for sizing the system
components. Equation 1 is used to compute the average
number of watt hours required by the premise:
Wh Hours Used
Average = Power × Quantity × (1)
Day Day
Figure 10. The Proposed Circuit Design of the Photovoltaic System.
The calculation and estimation of the required load on a
3.3. Materials Used
daily basis for the premise is 43534.4 Wh/day or 43.53
The materials employed for this design are categorized kWh/day calculated earlier.
into software and PV hardware components. The PVSYST
3.4.2. PV Module Sizing
V5.0 software is a computer software package for the study,
Different size of PV modules will produce different
sizing and data analysis of complete PV systems. It deals
amount of power. To determine the sizing of the PV module
with grid-connected, stand-alone, pumping and DC-grid PV
to use, the total watt-peak rating is needed which also
systems, and includes extensive meteorological and PV
depends on size of the PV module and the climate of site
systems components databases, as well as general solar
location. However, the module sizing was derived using the
energy tools.
software. The total number of modules = 8 modules, with Isc
It is designed to entail a contextual help which explains in
= 5.1 A, Voc = 554.4 V and module area = 298 m2.
details procedures and models used and offers an ergonomic
14 Christian Kwaku Amuzuvi and Emmanuel Effah: Design of a Photovoltaic System as an Alternative Source of
Electrical Energy for Powering the Lighting Circuits for Premises in Ghana

3.4.3. Battery Sizing output. The green bars in the graph represent the monthly
The batteries must be able to store the total daily load, in energy demands of the premise with the red bars
addition to the extra energy lost by inverting from DC to AC. representing the amount of energy that can be produced by a
With the help of the software, 30 batteries (6 in series × 5 in 12.53 kWp system. It can clearly be seen that the design
parallel) of a 12 V battery with capacity of 17850 Ah were produces enough electricity to fully offset the lighting load
required. These batteries will provide adequate storage to of the premise. The energy demand is 43.55 kWh per day
meet the daily energy requirements, operating temperature whereas the systems mean daily available output is 60.4
effects of 50°C, 4 days of autonomy, which is the number of kWh per day. Excess energy is produced, except the month
days the battery sustains its charge with no sunshine to of June, July, August and September which produces
recharge it, and 5% of loss of load (LOL), which is the relatively less energy in excess.
probability time fraction at which the battery is disconnected
due to the “low charge” regulator security.
3.4.4. Controller Sizing
From standard practice, the sizing of the solar charge
controller is to take the Isc of the PV module and multiply it
by a factor of 1.56 and the number of panels [19]. Therefore,
5.1 A × 1.56 × 8 = 63.65 A.
3.4.5. Inverter Sizing
In the sizing of the solar inverters, it should be noted that
the inverter should be 25-30% bigger than the total Watts of
all appliances that are to be powered by the system. It must
also be able to handle the expected surge or in-rush of Figure 11. Graph Showing Available Solar Energy and User’s Needs by
current that some large loads draw upon. The method for Mean Monthly Output of the Proposed PV System.
estimating surge requirements is simply to multiply the total
AC watts by three at realistic conditions where household Figure 12 also shows the average state of charge of
loads do not surge. The main criterion was to match the batteries and the probability of LOL by mean monthly. The
inverter’s input voltage with the nominal battery voltage and state of charge of batteries is the actual capacity of the
choosing the desired AC output voltage of 240 VAC. The battery, which is defined at nominal current, but varies with
total AC load is approximately 44 kW which must be the the discharge current level and temperature. It was however,
inverter size and therefore equal to the minimum inverter noted from the graph above that June, July, August and
continuous watt rating. The minimum surge rating will be September had less probability of LOL.
44 kW × 3 = 132 kW.
3.5. Safety Regulations

This PV system complies with Health and Safety

Requirements, BS 7671, and other relevant standards and
Codes of Practice. The designed system had an effective
grounding system to limit voltages due to lightning, power
line surges and unintentional contact with higher voltage
lines and also provide a current path for surplus electricity to
travel to earth [19].
3.6. Proposed Design Output
Figure 12. Graph Showing Average State of Charge of Batteries and
The function of the proposed design is to provide an
Probability of Loss of Load by Mean Monthly Output.
alternative source of electrical energy to power the lighting
circuits of the premise. The design produced 8 modules at 3.7. Economic Analysis
12.53 kWp (peak kilowatt) at operating conditions and a
battery capacity of 17850 Ah, thereby improving the As explained earlier in this paper, the premise solely relies
reliability, adequacy, economic and environmental impacts. on the national grid and a 60 kVA generator as a backup. The
The PVSYST software provided comparisons of the light projected economic comparison of the design provides a
energy consumption data of the premise to the amount of better option to the existing condition of using the 60 kVA
energy that could be produced by the proposed photovoltaic generator. The use of the off-grid PV system depends on the
system at solar radiation recorded monthly for the comparative costs, affordability, quality of service, and
geographical area of the premise. accessibility of other energy options which are locally
The graph in Figure 11 demonstrates the proposed design available.
 Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering 2014; 2(1): 9-16 15

3.7.1. Life Cycle Cost for Proposed Design Table 4. General Comparison between the Proposed Design and the 60 kVA
The life cycle costs (LCC) are the sum of the equipment generator
(initial) costs and operational costs arising during the project
Factors Solar (PV) 60 kVA Generator Set
until the end of the project horizon, which is usually set
between 20 and 30 years [15]. Resource Sunlight readily
Fuel is expensive and can be
The equipment costs are the initial costs incurred at the Availabilit available
scarce
beginning of the PV system electrification whilst the y
operational costs include the running costs, maintenance and Mode of
Simple Complicated
Operation
replacement costs. Tables 1 and 2 below represents the
Reliable power all month
initial and maintenance cost respectively for a period of 20 Relatively Cheap provided fuel is available
years and at a rate of 5%. Silent Generator not restricted to
Merits
Very long system lighting circuits alone but
Table 1. Initial Installation Cost Analysis for the Proposed Photovoltaic lifespan powers all load at the
System premise
LCC
Unit Price
PV Components Quantity Price (GH¢)
(GH¢) Relatively higher Low installation but high
Solar PV Module 8 1,000.00 8,000.00 installation cost but low maintenance and operation cost
maintenance and
Environm
Battery 30 390.00 11,700.00 operation cost
e-ntal and
No pollution Air Pollution
Inverter 1 6,504.70 6,504.70 Social
Impact
Controller 1 3,000.00 3,000.00 • Poor system output
from June to September • Environmental and Noise
Labour and Miscellaneous - - 10,000.00 Demerits due poor sun exposure pollution
Total Initial Cost (GH¢) 28,674.70 • System was limited to • Relatively Simple installation
lighting circuits
Table 2. Maintenance Cost Analysis for the Proposed Photovoltaic System
4. Conclusion and Recommendations
Maintenance Cost
4.1. Conclusion
Energy Cost (GH¢/hour) 1.78

Annuities and Maintenance (GH¢) for 20 years 14,460 Ghana is endowed with solar and other renewable energy
resources that can contribute immensely to residential and
Total Life Cycle Cost 43,134.70
industrial energy needs for the country. This paper reveals
the appropriateness of the generation of electric power using
3.8. Comparison between the Proposed PV Design and the solar renewable energy compared to the use of a diesel
60 kVA Generator generator. The proposed photovoltaic system for the premise
Before the comparisons and projections were made, the life required a 30 unit of battery capacity of 17850 Ah, an
cycle cost of the 60 kVA generator was also obtained as inverter size of 132 kW and a minimum number of 8
indicated in Table 3. Table 4 also show the general modules at 12.53 kWp for the design. The design achieved
comparison between the proposed design and the 60 kVA all the set goals relating to reliability, efficiency, adequacy,
generator. cost-effectiveness and environmental impact issues albeit
Table 3. General Comparison between Proposed Design and 60 kVA
limited to only the lighting circuits of the premise.
generator
4.2. Recommendations
Initial Cost Price (GHc)
The following are recommended from the proposed
Cost of generator 39,200 design:
Installation Cost 11,478 Hybrid system of renewable power generation should
be considered to further improve the reliability,
Total Initial Cost 50,678
efficiency, adequacy, cost-effectiveness and
Annual Maintenance Cost environmental impact issues of electricity provision;
Servicing; GHc400 for every 3 months 1600 The PVSYST software and other simulation programs
should be used as a tool to assist individuals and other
Diesel pricing; GHc162 for 90 litres full tank 1000
researchers in the optimization of the design of PV
Total Annual Maintenance Cost 2600 systems and
Total Maintenance Cost for 20 years 52,000 Government policies should be geared towards
Total Life Cycle Cost of Generator 103,356 encouraging individuals and investors to consider
investing in renewable energy.
 16 Christian Kwaku Amuzuvi and Emmanuel Effah: Design of a Photovoltaic System as an Alternative Source of
Electrical Energy for Powering the Lighting Circuits for Premises in Ghana

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