PV system Design

Dr. Saeed Mahmud Ullah

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PV System: Stand Alone

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 Examples of Stand Alone
PV Systems
• Communications facilities can be powered by
solar technologies, even in remote, rugged
terrain. Also, if a natural or human-caused
disaster disables the utility grid, solar
technologies can maintain power to critical
operations
Examples of Stand Alone
PV Systems
• Smiling child
stands in front
of Tibetan
home that uses
20 W PV panel
for electricity
• PV panel on
rooftop of rural
residence
 PV System:
Grid-Tie (Battery free)

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 PV System:
Grid-Tie with Battery backup

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Hybrid PV System
Examples of Hybrid
PV Systems
• PV / diesel hybrid
power system - 12
kW PV array, 20 kW
diesel genset
• This system serves as
the master site for
the "top gun" Tactical
Air Combat Training
System (TACTS) on
the U.S. Navy's Fallon
Range.
 Examples of Hybrid
PV Systems
• Ranching the
Sun project in
Hawaii
generates 175
kW of PV
power and 50
kW of wind
power from the
five Bergey 10
kW wind
turbines
Components of a stand alone PV
system
 Solar Home System Design
Customer Constraints:
Energy usage: How much energy needed by the customer
Yearly average kWh used by the client
Cost of power
Value of a kWh of solar is directly related to the cost of the power it replaces.
Customer budget
Site constraints:
How many panels can fit on the roof/site
Roof characteristics to be considered:
Total roof area
Local shading: chimney, pipes….
Rule of thumb for local shading = 3 X height of the obstacle
Caused by trees, buildings: it reduces the amount of irradiance hitting the roof –
check with Sun eye
Tilt of the roof
Azimuth of the roof
Determine the irradiance of the location
City irradiance
Adjust it by correction for the roof and estimate
power
Correction of irradiance: Consider correction
factor 98%.
• Designing string size (number of PV modules)
– Make sure we never supply the inverter with too
much voltage – It dictates maximum string length
– Make sure we can always supply to the inverter
with enough voltage to turn on – it dictates the
minimum number of string length.
• Determine the size of the conductors
– Solar PV source circuit (from module to inverter)
• ISC X 1.25 (for safety for high current generation due to
higher radiation like 1250 W/m2) X 1.25 (for continuous
load)
– Non solar PV source circuit(after inverter)
• Rated output current of the inverter X 1.25 (for
continuous load)
• Inverters are available in 3 basic output types - Square
wave, modified square wave and sine wave.
• Modified square wave inverters generally have good
surge and continuous capability and are usually
cheaper than sine wave types. However, some
appliances, such as audio equipment, television and
fans can suffer because of the output wave shape.
• Inverter sizing:
– The inverter size should be 20-30% higher than the total
watts of the appliances.
• Battery sizing:
– Calculate total W-hr/day used by load
– Divide the total W-hr/day by 0.85 for battery loss
– Divide the above answer by 0.6 for depth of discharge
– Divide the above answer by nominal battery voltage
– Multiply the above answer by the days of autonomy
(no. of days)
• Battery capacity (A-hr) = {(total W-hr/day) X days of
autonomy}/(0.85X0.6Xnominal battery voltage)
• Charge controller:
– Protect battery from over charging and over
discharging.
– Disconnect battery from panel to prevent
overcharging.
– Disconnect battery from load to prevent over
discharging.
– Reconnect the battery with panel.
– Reconnect the battery with load.
• Step 1 – Voltage selection
• Select a charge controller that is compatible with the system
voltage. The standard configurations are 12, 24, and 48 volts.
If you are wiring your batteries for 24 volts you need a charge
controller that is rated at 24 volts.
• Step 2 – Current capacity
• Select a charge controller that can handle the maximum
output current of the solar panel (or solar array). The
maximum possible current that a PV panel can generate is the
“short circuit current,” indicated as Isc in the panel’s label or
specs sheet.
• The controller should be sized so that they are
capable of carrying 125% of the array short circuit
current and withstanding the open circuit voltage of
the array.
• System voltages are generally 12, 24 or 48 Volts. As a general
rule, the recommended system voltage increases as the total
load increases. For small daily loads, a 12V system voltage can
be used. For intermediate daily loads, 24V is used and for
larger loads 48V is used.
• One of the general limitations is that maximum continuous
current being drawn from the battery should not be greater
than 150A.
 Example
• A client needs 550 kWh AC per month to be
supplied by PV system. Design the
components of the system. Local radiation is
4.79 sun-hr and roof correction factor is
97.8%.
• AC energy / day = 550/30 = 18.33 kWh/day
• DC energy / day = 18.33 / 0.8 = 22.91 kWh/day
• After correction, radiation is = 4.79 X 0.978 =
4.685/day
• Suppose we choose module with 200 Wp.
• Each module produces= 200 W X 4.685 = 937
W-hr/day = 0.937 kW-hr/day.
• Number of Modules required= (22.91kWh/day) /
(0.937 kWh/day) = 24.45 modules = 25 modules.
• String sizing: (the site has min temp 5oC and max
temp 60oC)
VOC=50V at 250C and VMP=40 V
• For max length of string:
• Temp diff= 25-5 = 20oC.
• 20 X (-0.14 V/C)= -2.8V
• So, Voltage at 5oC is 50+2.8 = 52.8V
• Consider max voltage rating of the inverter is 500V
• Number of modules= 500V/52.8V= 9.47 = 9 modules
• For min number of string:
• 60-25= 35oC
• 35 X (-0.14V/C)=-4.9V
• So, voltage at 60oC= 40-4.9= 35.1V
• Consider min voltage rating of the inverter is 200V
• Number of modules= 200V/35.1V= 5.7 = 6
modules
• So, PV module string can be
• 9X3 or 7X4
• Conductor sizing:
• ISC=5A
• From module to inverter, wiring rating= 5A X 1.25
X 1.25 X 3 = 23.4 A
• After inverter:
• Rated current of inverter = 15 A
• Wiring rating= 15A X 1.25 = 18.75 A
Inverter sizing:
=total ac watt X 1.2
• Total capacity of battery (Ah)
= {(22910wh/day) X 2} / (0.85 X 0.6 X 24 V)
= 3740 Ah
 Example Problem
• A client’s need for electricity is given below which should be
supplied by a PV system. Local radiation is 4.50 sun-hr and
roof correction factor is 98%. Consider the temperature of
the site varies from 5oC to 50oC throughout the year. Days of
autonomy is given as 2 days. Design the system.
 Load (AC)

Load Numbers Power Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednes Thursday Friday Saturday
(each) day
(W)
Light 8 25 5 hr 5 hr 5 hr 5 hr 5 hr 5 hr 5 hr
Fan 4 70 6 hr 6 hr 6 hr 6 hr 6 hr 6 hr 6 hr
Refrig 1 150 24 hr 24 hr 24 hr 24 hr 24 hr 24 hr 24 hr
erator
TV 2 100 3 hr 3 hr 3 hr 3 hr 3 hr 5 hr 5 hr
Comp 2 200 2 hr 2 hr 2 hr 2 hr 2 hr 4 hr 4hr
uter
Solar Panel Models
Inverter models
 Solution
Load Numb Power Sun Mon Tues Wednes Thurs Friday Satur Weakly Energy
ers (each) day day day day day day Consumption
(W) (Whr/Weak)
Light 8 25 5 hr 5 hr 5 hr 5 hr 5 hr 5 hr 5 hr 7000
Fan 4 70 6 hr 6 hr 6 hr 6 hr 6 hr 6 hr 6 hr 11760
Refrig 1 150 24 24 24 hr 24 hr 24 hr 24 hr 24 hr 25200
erato hr hr
r
TV 2 100 3 hr 3 hr 3 hr 3 hr 3 hr 5 hr 5 hr 5000
Comp 2 200 2 hr 2 hr 2 hr 2 hr 2 hr 4 hr 4hr 7200
uter
Total 1230 56160 Wh/weak
Load W =8.022 kWh/day
=1.23
kW
• AC energy / day = 7.14 kWh/day
• DC energy / day = 7.14 / 0.8 = 8.93 kWh/day
• After correction, radiation is = 4.50 X 0.98 = 4.41/day
Distance between Modules in the
Array formation
Distance between modules in Array