Rooftop Solar PV System Research Articles

Evaluation of transition to 100% electric vehicles (EVs) by 2052 in the United States

With the rising need to transition from fossil fuel consumption to renewables, the transportation industry is foreseeing large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). According to various studies, the petroleum resources will last until or around 2052. Utilizing the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published data on the number of registered vehicles by each state, the profile of vehicles by 2052 was forecasted using a time series. The vehicle profile comprised vehicles by each type classified as automobiles, buses, trucks, and motorcycles. This future profile became the basis of the quantification of total EVs by the end of 2052. Based on the available fuel economy data published by the US Department of Energy, the average energy consumption per mile (kWh/mile) of each vehicle type was factored into the energy demand calculation for 100% electrification by 2052. A roof-top solar photovoltaic system is easy to install on unoccupied roof space for US house owners. Obtaining the capacity of such a roof-top solar PV system acts as a good decision-making criterion for both house owners and developers. However, for city-dwellers living in multi-family residential buildings, the potential of utilization of roof-top solar PV becomes a subject of future work when effective sharing of resources for local power generation by renewables and development of community-shared EV charging infrastructure is concerned. How well EVs performed against internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in terms of fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions is a driving factor for this transition. For energy demand calculations, a base model was framed, and results were obtained by utilizing mathematical and statistical tools. After accounting for the effects of improved fuel efficiency or reduced energy consumption by EVs over time, the model was modified to obtain revised energy demand and, thus, effective energy generation required. Accordingly, the capacity of EV charging infrastructure required by each state determined the need for preparation by utility companies and local jurisdictions. With limitations on battery size and thus increased frequency for drivers to return for charging, additional fast chargers (level 3) at existing gasoline stations become an option that requires further assessment.

DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF A COST-EFFECTIVE NET-ZERO ENERGY MOSQUE LOCATED IN A HOT AND DRY CLIMATE

ABSTRACT This research paper presents a comprehensive analysis to develop an energy-efficient and net-zero-energy (NZE) model for a proposed hypothetical mosque model located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study employs a sequential optimization analysis using BEopt software (Building Energy Optimization Tool) to explore various energy conservation measures (ECMs) from three main categories: HVAC, lighting, and building envelope. The ECMs are evaluated based on energy savings and life-cycle cost, with the most cost-effective options selected for the proposed energy-efficient design package. Furthermore, a passive downdraught evaporative cooling (PDEC) system is introduced as a passive cooling strategy to further reduce the cooling energy consumption. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis is utilized to optimize the airflow around the building and PDEC tower, determining the optimal PDEC dimensions for enhanced ventilation performance. The PDEC system is found to contribute 12% to cooling energy savings, which further enhances the energy efficiency of the proposed mosque. A rooftop solar PV system is incorporated into the optimal energy-efficient design to achieve a NZE mosque. The results demonstrate that the NZE model achieves 80% energy savings, with the remaining 20% offset by the solar PV system. Moreover, life-cycle cost analysis reveals that the NZE model offers the lowest cost, making it the most cost-effective design option. This research provides valuable insights into designing sustainable mosques in hot and dry climates, such as Riyadh, offering a comprehensive solution to significantly reduce energy end-use and promote sustainable building practices.

Advancing toward a sustainable future in subtropical semi-arid type climatic zone: Iraq case - The progress of solar photovoltaic energy implementation

The study delves into Iraq's shift towards sustainable energy, focusing on solar photovoltaic energy adoption and expansion to meet rising energy demands and the need for cleaner energy solutions. It highlights the potential of harnessing solar energy, particularly through small-scale solar PV systems, supported by incentives like net metering programs that encourage surplus energy feed-in to the grid. Using Geographic Information System data, the paper examines the spatial distribution of solar PV installations and projects the capacities of rooftop solar PV systems by 2035 under various promising scenarios. It also demonstrates the link between increased solar PV capacity and meeting national energy demands, underscoring the importance of strategic policies, technological advancements, and the engagement of consumers and businesses in driving Iraq towards a sustainable energy future. By fostering an environment conducive to solar PV adoption, the results offers valuable insights for ongoing discussions and future studies on renewable energy strategies in Iraq.

Power Sharing at Rooftop Solar PV System Based Community Microgrid Using Helioscope Software

Due to increase in use of rooftop solar PV system and increase of electricity price, the power sharing among the prosumers of community microgrid become an interesting research area. This study proposes a power sharing mechanism that captures the interaction within a community microgrid. The efficient management of energy sharing is crucial for the efficient operation of community microgrids. To design rooftop solar PV systems, Helioscope software is employed. One of the key features of Helioscope is its ability to efficiently arrange arrays and blocks of solar panels based on the designated location within the software. The power sharing is obligated to coordinate the sharing of PV energy with maximization of the own profit, while the prosumers are autonomous to maximize their utilities with demand response availability. Finally, a load demand and PV generation mechanism is designed to deal with the uncertainty of PV energy and load consumption.

Azimuth Angle for Eight Cardinal Directions to Decrease Energy Imports in On-Grid Rooftop Solar PV System: a Case Study of Indonesia

Azimuth Angle for Eight Cardinal Directions to Decrease Energy Imports in On-Grid Rooftop Solar PV System: a Case Study of Indonesia

Assessment of hydrogen and Lithium-ion batteries in rooftop solar PV systems

Hydrogen batteries are currently gaining attention as a promising clean energy storage technology. However, limited knowledge is available at present on the technical and financial performance of Hydrogen batteries in rooftop solar PV (RSP) systems. This study models the operation of a commercial Hydrogen battery in RSP system, using Time of Use and Solar Feed-In tariffs, and compares the performance with a commercial Lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery under solar and arbitrage scheme. The model considers battery aging and performance degradation, with results suggesting that both hydrogen and Li-Ion batteries can reduce grid dependency and lower electricity costs by minimizing grid imports. However, the Li-Ion battery outperforms the hydrogen battery in better capacity utilisation due to lower roundtrip energy losses. The Li-Ion battery generates higher net income, achieving a payback period 9 years earlier in the arbitrage scheme and 1 year in the solar scheme, compared to the Hydrogen battery. However, the Hydrogen battery demonstrates a longer lifespan, enduring 18 % fewer charge-discharge cycles than Li-Ion battery. This makes the Hydrogen battery suitable for remote applications requiring extended duration of energy storage. The methodology developed in this study provides a valuable framework for evaluating the potential adoption of Hydrogen and Li-Ion batteries globally.

RES growth linked to grid development. Case Study: Romania

The paper presents Romania to illustrate how more production capacities from renewable energy sources can be integrated as part of the environmental protection and geostrategic policies, in an accelerated energy transition process. Increasing electricity production, especially for the widespread development of wind turbines and rooftop solar PV systems, requires the development of the electrical grid and increased interconnection capacity. The authors of this report also take into account the behavior in different seasons, cold and warm, in terms of the amount of renewable energy injected into the network. The data used in the study is based on the interpreting and associations of various information at the national and European levels, highlighting that the benefits of renewable energy are not only seen in terms of significant reductions in environmental impact but also in terms of cheaper energy! In summary, it is assumed that in 2023-2026, the electricity demand at the level of quality indicators will be covered by investments in new generation facilities related to grid reinforcement measures.

Techno-Economic Analysis of Residential Grid-Connected Rooftop Solar PV Systems in Indonesia Under MEMR 26/2021 Regulation

Grid-connected commercial rooftop solar PV systems have been widely used worldwide to provide affordable, clean energy and long-term energy security solutions. This is especially true in cities where space is limited and rooftops are not being used. According to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) No 26/2021 regulation in Indonesia, the rooftop PV system is allowed to be integrated with electricity grid with an export-import metering. The owner of the rooftop PV system will not only reduce their electricity bill, but also offset the energy over a period of 10 years. This paper provides a design and sizing analysis of a small scale rooftop solar PV system for residential. This study uses the PVsyst and SolarGIS tools to estimate the amount of energy produced by a 3 kWp solar system. It also provides a financial evaluation of the system's profitability, with particular attention to commercial buildings that are covered under MEMR regulation. This detailed analysis can be used by asset owners to decide the best way forward in terms of sustainable energy production and cost savings, as well as addressing the energy security problem.

IoT-enabled Smart Energy Management Device for Optimal Scheduling of Distributed Energy Resources

In this paper, a robust Internet-of-Thing (IoT) enabled Smart Energy Management Device (SEMD) is developed for Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) equipped energy consumers. The SEMD communicates with the existing metering infrastructure through serial communication using the Modbus RTU protocol and the RS 485 communication standard. The SEMD’s energy management framework comprises three sequentially operated software modules, viz., data preprocessing, forecasting, and an optimization module, which aims to minimize the energy costs of end consumers. The software and hardware architecture of the developed SEMD is robust enough to fit real-time implementation and makes it user-friendly. The effectiveness of the SEMD has been tested on an experimental test rig at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar. The demonstration test rig comprises two DERs equipped energy consumers (viz. Energy consumer-A & B). Energy consumer-A comprises a roof-top solar PV system, Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), and conventional flexible/non-flexible household appliances. The Energy consumer-B consists of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) enabled Electric Vehicle (EV), lighting, and pump loads. The experimental results obtained in this work demonstrate that using SEMD satisfies all technical constraints and benefits consumers in reducing bill payments. Thus, SEMD is a critical enabler for DER-equipped energy consumers to participate actively in various demand-side energy management programs.

Design, Installation, and Performance Monitoring of a 105 kWp Rooftop Solar PV System

Rooftop Solar PV systems are gaining growing attention on the path toward carbon neutrality. Hence, a great effort must be exerted to ensure smooth and efficient penetration of such systems into the existing utility grids. In the current work, a 105 kWp rooftop solar system is designed and installed to fulfil part of the electric demand of the faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Egypt. The performance parameters of this grid-connected solar PV system are optimized for the least-cost of electricity supply through using industry-standard software NREL SAM. For the current rooftop system, fixed orientation of an optimized tilt angle of 23 degrees is preferred over sun-tracking systems due to the reduced operating and maintenance costs. The annual energy production of the system is 175,700 kWh with a capacity factor of 19.1%. Through using parametric optimization and inter-connected financial analysis algorithms, it was possible to define the least cost for the electricity supplied to the grid to be 0.55 EGP/kWh, which achieves grid parity in Egypt. The project is finically profitable without any subsidy, with a discounted payback period of 7.9 years, and IRR (on equity) of 20.1 % and saves 1882-ton CO2 over its lifetime. Sensitivity analysis showed that the electricity escalation rate greatly enhances the project finances. In the first year of operation, the system performed fairly well compared with the theoretical design, provided that the system is frequently cleaned (at least once a week) and continuously connected.

PV Rooftop System Design and Modeling On-Grid Commercial Scale in The Building of The Faculty of Science and Technology UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung

This research discusses the design of a comprehensive on-grid rooftop solar PV system. The object of this research is the Faculty of Science and Technology Building of UIN Sunan Gunung Djatii Bandung, with the results of this study obtained a rooftop on-grid solar PV system capacity of 177 keep, with a DC / AC ratio of 1.265, a total capacity of the string inverter used is 140 Kwa. In this design, 3D shading scene modeling is carried out to obtain accurate losses. The simulation results obtained an annual output of 200.2 MWh in the designed solar PV system, and the performance ratio (PR) value obtained was 78.09%..

Techno-economic analysis of solar PV electricity generation at the university of environment and sustainable development in Ghana

The electricity indebtedness of Ghanaian schools is increasing due to the high cost of electricity in the country. As a result, the utility companies frequently disconnect the schools from the grid to force them to settle their debts. Meanwhile, the school can reduce its bills from rooftop solar PV systems, yet little attention is given. The study uses the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) as a case to assess the technical feasibility, economic viability, and potential benefits of implementing rooftop solar PV electricity in Ghanaian schools. Google Earth software was used to estimate the structure's rooftop surface areas to determine the potential energy harvest from a PV plant.In contrast, the economic analysis uses the net present value (NPV), internal rate of returns (IRR), discounted payback period (DPP) and profitability index (IP) to appraise the intended project. The results show that using rooftops of school structures can provide the needed electricity for local consumption and export excess to the grid for sales. The NPV, IRR, IP, and DPP recorded from the study are million GHS 15.15, 21%, 1.6 and 8 years, respectively. The findings highlight the potential of rooftop solar PV systems to meet educational institutions' electricity demand, exploring the possibility of exporting excess to the national grid for revenue (income generator), reducing operational costs, and contributing to a sustainable energy transition.

DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF ROOF TOP SMALL SCALE SOLAR PV SYSTEM

Many renewable energy conversion systems have been built in order to reduce the use of fossil fuel and minimize global warming. Solar power plant, one of many renewable energy systems, has promising potential in green energy sector. However, there are only a few solar PV system installed in roof top of a building. Thus, the present work aims to development small scale roof top solar PV system and to investigate its performance. The 300 WP solar PV system is installed on a roof top of the office building of campus III-IST. AKPRIND. The performance of the system in terms of output current, output voltage, output power, and conversion efficiency. The results shows that maximum output current of 3.91 ampere and maximum output voltage of 58.29 volt were obtained at day 3 and day 5, respectively. The output current give predominant effect on output power of the solar PV system. The trend of output power is similar to that of output current. Maximum output power of 173.25 W was generated at day 3 where maximum output current was measured. Thus, it can be figure out that the solar PV system has an conversion efficiency of almost 58%.

Predicting Solar Potential: A Comprehensive Analysis of On-Grid Rooftop Solar PV System through HelioScope Design

Abstract: This work focuses on designing an MWh generating On-grid Solar PV system installed in Mangalpally, Hyderabad. Regionally, this location receives 5.5 kWh/sq.mts/day of Solar Energy on an average. The main objective of this paper is to designing and simulation of a Solar PV system using a methodology that is capable of analysing the performance in an optimizable way irrespective of the capacity of the PV plant. Such software is HelioScope- a web-based software developed by Folsom Labs. This paper uses HelioScope methodology for simulation for assess and estimate of the Solar Energy Production. The results verify the Solar PV generation of the considered installation area.

Planning of distribution system considering residential roof top photovoltaic systems, distributed generations and shunt capacitors using gravitational search algorithm

In this paper a Gravitational Search Algorithm (GSA) based multiobjective approach is proposed for optimum sizing and allocation of distributed generations (DGs) and shunt capacitors (SCs) for distribution systems integrated with roof top photo voltaic systems (PV). The capacity of roof top Solar PV systems is designed based on the basic energy consumption requirements of a two-bed room apartment. A normalized multiobjective function is formulated considering the objectives of minimizing substation real power, reactive power, real power loss minimization and voltage profile improvement. The optimum DGs and SCs for three seasons summer, rainy and winter are obtained using GSA by minimizing the multiobjective function to reduce the burden on the substation and simultaneously improving the distribution system performance. A practical 52-bus, 11 kV rural radial distribution system is used to demonstrate the simulation results to show the advantage of the proposed methodology in improving the distribution system performance.

Scalable-flexible architecture and power management strategy for a rural standalone DC community grid

Roof-top solar PV and battery systems at individual homes form standalone DC nanogrids to electrify off-grid remote locations. To improve the reliability and sustainability of these installations, interconnections are required, forming a DC Community Grid (DCCG). A novel 380 V DCCG with 72 V nanogrid (home) members is proposed for this low voltage standalone DCCG. It is also proposed to adopt a decentralized power management strategy which utilizes the concepts of DC bus signaling and adaptive droop control. Power flow algorithm based on adaptive droop equations are developed for individual converter interfaces so that each of the subsystems operate independently but in coordination. Only local measurements of input/output currents and voltages of the particular interface are required. Therefore, these are applicable to any of the converter topologies used as an interface for the renewable sources, batteries and nanogrid interconnections. The decentralized approach will mitigate the dependencies of DCCG on the communication network. With the proposed architecture and power management strategy, addition or removal of loads, sources, or storage units at nanogrid level or community level can be done as plug-and- play without modifying the existing system. The system has been extensively simulated and analyzed using MATLAB/Simulink R2021b and further experimentally verified with closed loop operation using Spartan – 6 XC6SLX25 FPGA in FTG256 package. The experimental verification proves that the bus voltage variation is within the limits set by the power management algorithm while desired power sharing is achieved.

Ten questions concerning data-driven modelling and forecasting of operational energy demand at building and urban scale

Buildings account for over a third of end energy demand in many countries worldwide. Modelling this demand accurately marks the first step in producing forecasts that can help optimize energy efficiency as well as ensure stable grid operation, a growing concern with the electrification of heating and transportation demand and proliferation of renewable energy sources. These changes, for instance through large scale deployment of rooftop solar PV systems also mean that urban electricity demand is in a constant state of flux. To address these issues, a very large number of research papers have appeared in recent literature which propose or test different building and urban energy demand or load forecasting techniques, often with conflicting results. Meanwhile, in the same period, the broader field of forecasting has also witnessed tremendous development due to greater data availability, growth in computing power, and algorithmic innovations. As a result, there is little clarity in the energy demand forecasting field on best practices, especially in relation to the creation, evaluation, and utilization of these forecast models. This ten questions paper addresses this shortcoming and provides answers to the most important questions that researchers and practitioners alike need to ask themselves before creating their own demand forecaster, be it at the building or urban level. In addition to summarizing current best practices, the paper also provides an overview of some of the most important challenges related to energy demand forecasting and a principled framework to address them. Additionally, two companion notebooks provide an in-depth tutorial form introduction to load forecasting at both building and urban scale.

Electricity Cost Reduction of Industrial/General Purpose Customers in Sri Lanka using Solar PV and Battery Storage

Many solar installations are coming up to harness solar electricity in Sri Lanka, including on rooftops. Since the Industrial and Commercial customers are crucial for the economic activities, utility providers have introduced several tariff schemes for financial motivation to go for Solarphotovoltaics. However, with rooftop Solar PV systems, the management of excess solar generation has become a challenge for the utility provider who shed the excess solar generation to regulate the grid parameters. As a result, return of investment for the rooftop solar systems has been reduced drastically for industrial purpose(IP) and general purpose (GP) customers in Sri Lanka. The real time management of the PV generation can be conducted with the available Loads and the other generating sources, like Diesel Engines and Battery Storage. The maximum demand cost needs to be considered and the unit costs can be calculated based on the LCOE technique to reflect the lifetime costs of each source and optimization technique can be used to dispatch the generation and loads based on the optimum cost. In this paper, the PV generation optimization of Industrial Purpose/ General Purpose customers has been conducted using quadratic optimization technique to reduce the electricity cost. The results of the study show that for two selected GP and IP consumers, the program derives the optimum size of battery capacity for a given installation and the minimum solar generation requirement for the economic benefit.

Adaptable pathway to net zero carbon: A case study for Techno-Economic & Environmental assessment of Rooftop Solar PV System

Several countries have a critical need to enhance their electricity production to satisfy the tremendously increasing energy demand and to minimize the black outs. Due to scarcity of fossil fuels and degrading environment, rooftop Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) can be a suitable renewable alternative of green and clean energy. In this paper, due to the techno-economic, environmental and social benefits of Solar PV, the modelling and planning of a solar PV plant to fulfil the energy demand of an academic building is carried out. The analysis is done including all the financial and environmental aspects considering recent market prices and future price escalation. A Modified Greedy Search based optimal planning of the SPV to minimize grid dependence considering load variation pattern with its assessment analysis for an academic building is proposed in this research work. The various financial parameters that affect the feasibility of Solar PV plant i.e., energy payback period, grid dependency, rate of investment return, economic payback period, rate of escalation with actual cost of electricity, annual maintenance cost, depreciation and taxation are considered and evaluated. The environmental factors related to the generation from Solar PV i.e., CO2 emission reduction and carbon credit are also included in analysis. The results obtained for the proposed Solar PV plant shows that the energy payback period is 8 years and IRR with depreciation and taxation is 21% (approx.) with net CO2 mitigation of 1199 tCO2 during the useful life span (25 years) of the plant.

Grid Parity of Residential Building Rooftop Solar PV in India

Rooftop solar photovoltaic(PV) installation in India have increased in lastdecade because of the flat 40 percent subsidy extended for rooftop solarPV systems (3 kWp and below) by the Indian government under the solarrooftop scheme. From the residential building owner’s perspective, solar PVis competitive when it can produce electricity at a cost less than or equalgrid electricity price, a condition referred as “grid parity”. For assessing gridparity of 3 kWp and 2 kWp residential solar PV system, 15 states capitaland 19 major cities were considered for the RET screen simulation by usingsolar isolation, utility grid tariff, system cost and other economic parameters.3 kWp and 2 kWp rooftop solar PV with and without subsidy scenarioswere considered for simulation using RETscreen software. We estimate thatwithout subsidy no state could achieve grid parity for 2kWp rooftop solarPV plant. However with 3 kWp rooftop solar PV plant only 5 states couldachieve grid parity without subsidy and with government subsidy number ofstates increased to 7, yet wide spread parity for residential rooftop solar PV isstill not achieved. We find that high installation costs, subsidized utility grid supply to low energy consumer and financing rates are major barriers to gridparity