Stand-alone solar lighting system with Programmable Logic Controller

Abstract

The circuitry modelling of the standalone photovoltaic (PV) maximum power point tracking (MPPT) lithium-ion battery charge controller is presented in this study using the MATLAB/Simulink environment. For the charge controller implementation, a DC-DC converter called a buck topology is used. The Perturb and Observe (P&O) MPPT algorithm monitors the solar panel’s peak power. The lithium-ion battery is charged in three stages by the battery charge controller. The model’s performance is analysed in terms of MPPT tracking performance, battery charging performance, and overall charge controller efficiency performance. With an MPPT efficiency of up to 99.9%, the performance result demonstrates that the MPPT is capable of tracking to the PV panel maximum point at any variation in solar irradiation. For small and medium standalone PV systems, this verified model aids in improved sizing of PV panels and battery energy storage. Techno-economic analysis refers to the assessment of the economic viability and profitability of using this type of lighting compared to other forms of lighting. The maintenance costs and efficiency of these systems can be improved even more by adding a programmable logic controller (PLC).