Stand-alone Solar System Research Articles

Enhancing climate resilience of vulnerable women in the Global South through power sharing in DC microgrids

Many women of remote communities in the Global South (GS) are highly vulnerable to natural disasters caused by climate change, due to their low adaptive capability. Inclusion of gender considerations has been emphasized in national adaptation plans and initiatives aimed at reducing vulnerability. However, the potential of low-cost electricity-based solutions in promoting climate change adaptation is largely unexplored. In countries of the GS, remote communities have adopted stand-alone solar home systems, which are often inefficient and require significant investments for upgrading. In this work, a model of an off-grid DC microgrid with distributed generation and storage is proposed, allowing individual households to obtain extra energy through neighborhood-level prosumer power sharing. The benefits of power sharing are evaluated through the development of a mixed-integer linear program using load requirements based on the World Bank's Multi-Tier Framework for household energy access. The results show that households with prosumer power sharing can access more than 60 % extra energy compared to their stand-alone status with up to 34 % reduction in Levelized Cost of Energy. Access to additional energy can allow vulnerable households to access energy services in the household to potentially improve climate change adaptation opportunities in agriculture, livelihood and educational sectors, among others.

Techno-economic analysis and dynamic performance evaluation of an integrated green concept based on concentrating solar power and a transportable heat pipe-cooled nuclear reactor

The nuclear-solar hybrid system (NSHS) is regarded as a promising solution to meet the growing energy requirements of remote areas. Currently, design schemes and parametric analyses for small-scale application scenarios are still limited. This study has proposed an innovative transportable micro heat-pipe cooled nuclear reactor (HPR) coupled with a concentrating solar power (CSP) system to achieve flexible load regulation. First, a dynamic simulation model for the NSHS is established in the Simulink platform, considering turbomachine off-design characteristics and the power-load matching dispatch principle. Then, techno-economic analyses are carried out to explore the exergy and capital cost flow processes. The results reveal that the NSHS shows clear seasonal features with the highest load cover rate of 98.31 % in summer and the lowest of 73.82 % in winter. The total exergy effectiveness of the NSHS is 29.4 %, with an average electricity cover ratio of 88.67 % and a solar energy penetration ratio of 13.32 %. The calculated LCOE is 80.84 $/MWh, and the payback period is 3.62 years. The life cycle emission of the system is assessed as 10.23 g CO2 eq./kWh. Compared with the solar standalone system, the hybrid system with higher efficiency faces challenges in high-temperature resistance and thermal insulation.

Techno-Economic Analysis of Off-Grid PV Solar System for Residential Building Load: A Case Study in Baidoa, Somalia

Currently, the majority of the Somali population does not have access to a regular source of power. The country does not have a national grid, relying on outdated, costly and inefficient diesel generators. The energy consumption in Somalia is dependent on firewood and charcoal, dependencies that rely on deforestation and desertification, which negatively influence the agricultural sector and also the environment. In this work, the potential of solar power in Somalia is assessed while estimating the cost of solar panels per household. This study aims to assess the cost, ecological and economic efficiency of the off-grid PV home system in residential buildings in Baidoa, Somalia. A stand-alone solar home system of 1.98kW PV capacity with battery backup is designed by using HOMER software. The daily primary load considered is 7.530 kWh, with a peak of the nominal power of 1.60 kW. The results show that renewable energy sources can replace conventional energy sources and that they would be a viable solution for generating electrical energy in residential houses in Baidoa with a reasonable investment. It was also found that the amount of power produced by solar panels is 7,400kWh/year. With an initial investment of $5580, the annualized life cycle cost of the system is $0.483, the payback period of initial investment is 2 years and 7 months period, and the net present cost (NPC) of the project is $18,684.

Techno-economic feasibility assessment and performance analysis of standalone solar photo voltaic-biomass hybrid system with optimized storage: a case study—Grand Bassa, Liberia

Introduction: Liberia has a significant obstacle in terms of restricted power accessibility, as only 26.7% of its populace have access to electrical energy. To tackle this issue, there is a collaborative effort between the government and private sector to undertake energy projects aimed at enhancing the power supply of the grid. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the techno-economic feasibility and analyze the performance of a standalone biomass/solar photovoltaic (PV) hybrid energy system for a rural Liberian community that mostly relies on traditional biomass.Methods: HOMER pro program was used to configure the system, model the community’s load over a year, and generate the resource data of the location.Results and Discussion: Four different configurations were obtained and analyzed both technically and economically to determine the most feasible configuration. This study has shown that a hybrid configuration incorporating Biomass Gasifier, Solar PV, and Battery storage is more feasible with annual output power of 77104 kWh/yr, LCOE ($/kwh) of 0.29 and NPC ($) of 0.3979 million. If implemented with external funding, it will enhance the education, economic and socio-economic status of rural settlements. The results will serve as a valuable resource for informing choices on the implementation of the hybrid energy solution and guaranteeing its sustained efficacy within the community.

Design of a Novel Chaotic Horse Herd Optimizer and Application to MPPT for Optimal Performance of Stand-Alone Solar PV Water Pumping Systems

A significant part of agricultural farms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are in off-grid sites where there is a lack of sufficient water supply despite its availability from groundwater resources in several regions of the country. Since abundant agricultural production is mainly dependent on water, farmers are forced to pump water using diesel generators. This investigation deals with the increase in the effectiveness of a solar photovoltaic water pumping system (SPVWPS). It investigated, from a distinct perspective, the nonlinear behavior of photovoltaic modules that affects the induction motor-pump because of the repeated transitions between the current and the voltage. A new chaotic Horse Herd Optimization (CHHO)-based Maximum Power Point Tracking technique (MPPT) is proposed. This algorithm integrates the capabilities of chaotic search methods to solve the model with a boost converter to maximize power harvest while managing the nonlinear and unpredictable dynamical loads. The analytical modeling for the proposed SPVWPS components and the implemented control strategies of the optimal duty cycle of the DC–DC chopper duty cycle and the Direct Torque Control (DTC) of the Induction Motor (IM) has been conducted. Otherwise, the discussions and evaluations of the proposed model performance in guaranteeing the maximum water flow rate and the operation at MPP of the SPVWPS under partial shading conditions (PSC) and changing weather conditions have been carried out. A comparative study with competitive algorithms was conducted, and the proposed control system’s accuracy and its significant appropriateness to improve the tracking ability for SPVWPS application have been proven in steady and dynamic operating climates and PSC conditions.

Design and Feasibility Study of A Stand-Alone Home Pv Solar System in Baghdad Climate

The question asked by all researchers is when solar panels will replace the national grid, especially in the domestic sector. In this study, a rooftop stand-alone solar electric system is designed to provide all the electrical power to a house in Baghdad-Iraq, using a (How to design PV system) simulation program. The feasibility of this system compared to the performance of the national electric grid and the system of private diesel generators is determined. The proposed solar system capacity is (25 kW), and the space required and the energy payback time are (360 m2 and 7.82 years), respectively. By using the current system, the net CO2 mitigation amount is 499,518.2 tons for 30-year. The kilowatt-hour costs for the subsidized national grid, private diesel generators, and the present solar system is 0.01865$, 0.1509$, and $0.108, respectively. The kilowatt cost can reach 0.25kWh if the battery replacement cost is estimated; so photovoltaic systems are still a good choice to generate electricity instead of using the national grid. If solar PV systems to generate electricity are used instead of the national grid, the financial and environmental profits will be good enough. The reason for the study is because the costs of off-grid solar PV systems are high, no specific studies have emerged on such vital topics. Currently, loans from government banks have reduced the impact of this negative factor

Fuzzy Logic Controller Based Perturb and Observe Maximum Power Point Tracking

This paper presents a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) based technique to design an adaptive perturb and observe (P&O) maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller. The objective is to improve the efficiency of a standalone solar energy system consisting of a photovoltaic (PV) panel and a DC/DC buck converter connected to a variable load. The proposed FLC based technique is implemented on a TMS320F28335 DSP board and compared to the conventional P&O technique. The performance of the proposed system is validated through outdoor experiments with a 150-Watt PV system

Stand-alone solar lighting system with Programmable Logic Controller

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).

Modelling and Simulation of a Stand-Alone Solar System with A Capacity of 380V, 39A Based On Ferrite Transformers and Half Cut Cell PV Modules

The easy installation of the solar energy system, no need for fuel, low maintenance and operation requirements, makes it the preferred choice to solve the problem of power outage especially in the day of the summer season. The downside of the solar energy systems is decreasing the generated energy with the rising in temperatures, perfect and simple design of the solar energy system makes it durable over a wide range of temperature increases. This research presents the design of 3-ph (380V, 39A) stand –alone solar system at latitude 32.5 with a high quality voltage and current even when the temperature reaches to maximum levels. The power system of the project contains: 60 PV modules of a half cut cell to reduce the losses in connection lines, and two Mn-Zn toroid core ferrite transformers to transition the solar energy to the inverter with appropriate voltage efficiently. Control system is implemented based on PI controllers for switching function at a certain values of a modulation index parameter (m). The system is modeled and simulated in MATLAM/Simulink, simulation results demonstrate that the rated voltage and current have been obtained with minimum values of Total Harmonics Distortion (THD) and modulation index parameter less than 1.

Modelling the use of PVSYST software for a stand-alone PV solar system "off grid" with batteries by utilizing silicon hetero-junction technology (HJT) panels in Iraq/Basra.

Fossil fuels have been widely used in electricity generation in recent years, resulting in excessive CO2 emissions. Continuing this would increase the temperature of the atmosphere, causing storms, hurricanes, droughts, dust storms, and flooding. Due to the fact that renewable energy produces few or no emissions, it has become increasingly important for it to be adapted in recent years. During the past few years, the PV sector has experienced rapid growth. New technology has enabled PV cells to become more efficient, and the sector is rapidly embracing new technologies. In this regard Silicon Hetero-junction technology HJT has been able to offer additional benefits: It is able to achieve efficiency levels above 24% at temperature 20C°. HJT solar panels have over 90% module bifaciallity and a low temperature coefficient (-0.24%/°C), which benefits to the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and output power for PV systems. The objective of this study is to assess and compare the efficiency of high-quality (HJT) solar panels and SI-MONO solar panels for a residential off-grid system with at a peak power of 3 kWh and a daily power close to 20 kWh with a 48V system in Iraq/Basra. In order to calculate energy output, and enhance the system design, PVSYST (7.2.11 version) software was used. PVSYST's database contains meteorological data, including characteristics, solar radiation, and ambient temperature.

Optimisation and analysis of an integrated energy system with hydrogen supply using solar spectral beam splitting pre-processing

The application of integrated energy systems (IES) in urban areas is gradually increasing, yet the constraint of limited building space poses a significant challenge to effective system planning. In this paper, to address the issue of area limitation from the perspective of improving solar energy utilization. A novel IES utilizing solar spectral beam splitting (SBS) for hydrogen production is proposed, which introduces SBS technology to make full use of the sun’s full-spectrum energy. Furthermore, the incorporation of photocatalytic hydrogen production introduces an innovative approach to meet the hydrogen needs of hydrogen refuelling stations, facilitating highly efficient co-generation of cooling, heating, electricity, and hydrogen supply. To determine the optimal system configuration, a comparison is made with a stand-alone solar system using a honey badger-simulated annealing optimization algorithm. The results show that the SBS-IES achieves a solar energy utilization rate of 37.72% and reduces equipment footprint by 20.48%. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is performed to analyse the impact of changes in floor space on the system. This innovative system is suitable for small-scale IES and serves as an efficient solution for urban energy systems.

(Invited) Solar Flow Batteries: Integrated Photoelectrochemical Solar Energy Conversion and Redox Flow Battery Systems

Due to the intermittent nature of sunlight, practical solar energy utilization systems demand both efficient solar energy conversion and inexpensive large scale energy storage. We have developed hybrid solar-charged storage devices called solar flow batteries (SFBs) that integrate photoelectrochemical solar cells with redox flow batteries (RFBs). In these devices, photoexcited carriers collected at the semiconductor-liquid electrolyte interface convert the redox couples to charge up the RFB without external electric bias; which can be discharged to generate the electricity when needed. By matching various silicon solar cells and tandem III-V solar cells (Chem 2018, 4, 2644) with various organic redox couples and optimizing the SFB device design, we improved their round trip solar-to-output electricity efficiency (SOEE) and eventually achieved a record SOEE of 20% with a 500-hour lifetime using high performance tandem perovskite/silicon solar cells (Nature Mater. 2020, 19, 1326). The design principles and the quantitative analysis model for voltage matching solar cells with RFBs (Acc. Chem. Res. 2020, 53, 2611) light up the pathways for achieving even better performance and stability yet maintaining a low cost, which would make these SFBs practical for standalone solar energy conversion and storage systems in remote off-grid locations.

Solar Air Conditioning Case Studies for Qatar Climate Conditions

Abstract Air conditioning (AC) is crucial for comfortable living in countries with challenging desert climates like Qatar. In the face of such harsh conditions, cooling applications account for up to 70% of energy consumption in residential buildings. Given the high-energy demand for cooling and the region's abundant solar resources, rooftop photovoltaics (PVs) can offer an ideal sustainable solution, as peak solar supply closely aligns with the electricity demand. This study aims to enhance the feasibility, effectiveness, and system design for solar ACs in Qatar's climate conditions. A simulation model is developed to evaluate different setups of solar AC systems, utilizing local historical weather data. Optimization strategies are explored and validated for the purpose of minimizing the need for costly battery storage. Results demonstrate the efficacy of these techniques, with potential reductions in battery capacity needs of up to 15% through heat inertia management and matching of energy supply and demand. The complete elimination of battery storage is found to be possible but would be at the expense of slight compromises in end-of-day indoor comfort, which can be addressed by cooling storage solutions.

Design of hybrid power system for COMSATS University Islamabad using homer pro software

More than a billion people do not have access o electricity, so it is important to find ways to generate power close to where they live. Hybrid energy systems can be made and used to generate electricity for homes and businesses that are not connected to national or regional power grids. Hybrid energy systems yield greater environmental and economic returns than stand-alone geothermal, solar, wind, or bigenerational systems. The goal of this paper is to simulate a hybrid power system for COMSATS University in Islamabad that is both technically and economically feasible and plays a big part to support clean energy production and safeguard the environment from toxic emissions. This paper provides a case study of COMSATS University Islamabad. The results showed that a hybrid system with a grid and a wind turbine that produced 1 MWh/yr was the best option. This study also provides a cost summary of PV panels, batteries, diesel generators, capital value, replacement, operation and maintenance (OM), fuel cost, and salvage value in dollars. In this study, a hybrid power system is designed that can provide us with a detailed analysis of power generation and consumption for the case study.

Increasing photovoltaic system power output with white paint albedo – a scenario in Al-Mausaib City using PVSyst. software

<p>Sundry circumstances influence on the photovoltaic (PV) performance, <br />a ground albedo one of an important factor that effect on the PV panel work. This research study is to improving the output solar structures fixed on horizontal of the buildings of the even surface with adjustable roof albedo; this study incorporates integrating innovative PV and levelheaded surface techniques to boost the energy production of photovoltaic system. The modeling and simulation study were utilized as part of the system to examine the effectiveness of the solar structure installed on concrete horizontal even tiles structures with a roof albedo of 0.25, After that, white paint was applied to the concrete surface in front of the solar system to raise the albedo to 0.70. The important findings demonstrate that a rise in surface albedo from 0.25 to 0.7 will contribute to an increase in yearly solar PV power generation. The case study scenario in Al-Mussaib Technical College (L at 32° 46′ 59.99″ N, 44° 19′ 0.01 E), this paper will study the effects of two different materials top surface on the yield of PV module, for these studies, the PVSyst. program version 7.2 is utilized to analysis data from PV solar stand-alone systems.</p>

Selection of solar panel using entropy TOPSIS technique

Energy surplus has always been problematic in isolated and countryside areas of the globe, both monetarily and technically. Prioritizing energy sources to electrify a rural hamlet is the most challenging stage. Because no one option is perfect, pooling resources is always a good idea. The combination of monetary, technological, and eco-friendly factors in planned decision-making complicates building an independent off-grid source of electricity. Due to their cheap cost and low noise, standalone solar systems have been seen as viable and rapidly developing green energy sources, particularly for rural electrification. However, these systems' lowest energy conversion and highest capital expenses are their principal drawbacks. As a result, numerous factors should be considered before installing the system, including PV panel types and configurations, PV module mathematical models, storage batteries, environmental requirements, sizing strategy based on techno-economic objectives, and final design choices. This research aims to present a method for choosing the optimum solar panel for rural electrification based on multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) strategy. The SPs are associated with various characteristics, like Cost Per Watt, INR (SPC-1), and Nameplate Max. Power rating; Watt (SPC-2), Vmax; Volts (SPC-3), Imax; Amperes (SPC-4), Voc; Volts (SPC-5), Isc; Amperes (SPC-6), Panel; efficiency(%) (SPC-7), Number of cells: quantity (SPC-8) and Weight;kg (SPC-9). The SPC-1 and SPC-9 are nonbeneficial criteria, and the SPC-2 to SPC-8 are beneficial criteria. As a result, the TOPSIS procedure is applied to choose the optimum option out of the 16 options. For equal weight, the MCS value is 0.626, whereas the entropy weight approach has an MCS value of 0.817. Following that, using the TOPSIS technique, SP-12 ranks second in alternatives. If the first option isn't available on the market, the second can be chosen.

SOLAR ENERGY-POWERED MULTIPLE CELLPHONES CHARGING (BOOTH)

The work present the development and implementation of a solar powered multiple cell phones charging system (booth) for 50 cell phones that is capable of charging multiple phones including laptops 24 hours without supply from the main grid. The work is a stand-alone solar renewable energy system that can be used in urban and rural areas with the aim of solving the problem of phone as at when due, due to power failure from main grid or where there is no electricity at all. The system hardware is consists of Solar panel, charge controller, deep circle battery, inverter and multiple charging outlets. The solar panel converts the sun energy to direct current electrical energy to charge the battery through the charge controller. The charge controller controls and regulates the voltage from the solar panel to the battery and also monitors the charging process to avoid over charging of the battery. The battery stores the energy from the sun and supplies it to the input of the inverter. The inverter inverts or converts the direct current (DC) to an alternating current (AC). The 220VAC at the output of the inverter is connected to the multiple socket outlets where phones and laptop is connected for charging.

Fuzzy Logic Control of Maximum Power Point Tracking Controller in an Autonomous Hybrid Power Generation System by Extended Kalman Filter for Battery State of Charge Estimation

Autonomous power generation systems are designed to operate independently from the public power grid. Batteries constitute the important element in stand-alone PV system. They are used to store electricity produced by solar energy at overnight or for emergency use during the non-constant load demand. This paper has three major parts.The first pertains the design of an intelligent method for maximum power point tracking based on fuzzy logic controller to improve the efficiency of a standalone solar energy system. The second part describes the battery state of charge (SOC). The proposed model, which better reflects the real SOC response of the lithium battery, is constructed by using the extended Kalman Filter (EKF) states estimator. This proposed method can be considered as a more accurate and reliable method to estimate the battery state of charge. The third part integrates a management system for the above two renewable energy sources. The performance of the proposed management system by using a fuzzy logic controller based maximum power point tracking FLC-MPPT and the EKF estimator have been simulated in Matlab/Simulink at different solar irradiation and temperature for a given no constant load energy request.

SIZING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A STANDALONE SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM FOR A THREE-PHASE SUBMERSIBLE PUMPING MACHINE CONSIDERING THE TECHNO-ECONOMICS PERSPECTIVES: A CASE OF SUPER FARM ILORIN

The solar photovoltaic system is an alternative power supply source that could aid the economic growth of a nation. However, improper sizing of the system leads to a high installation cost and a low level of penetration in the energy mix. This paper focused on the appropriate sizing and implementation of a standalone solar system for a three-phase pump machine in a farm in Ilorin, Nigeria. The pump rating was determined manually as 20HP, with a flow rate of 180,000 L/h. Consequently, the daily load and solar global horizontal irradiance data were acquired and used for sizing the PV system using HOMER Pro software. Fifty-six solar panels with a total area of 120.4 m2 were proposed and installed to achieve a total power of 22.4 kW required for the machine's operation. The levelised cost of energy is 0.4007 $/kWh as against the cost of energy when the farm was running on generators with an energy cost of 4.170 $/kWh. The economic analysis of the system for the farm shows the NPC and COE of the system configuration are $28,341.91 and 0.4007 $/kWh, respectively.

DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE OF A SOLAR DRYER HYBRID PHOTOVOLTAIC THERMAL SYSTEM

A solar dryer hybrid photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) system has been designed, built and its performance has been studied. This research aims to develop a stand-alone solar dyer system, portable and less maintenance. This system consists of three main parts; PV/T system with configuration-Z thermal absorber plate, multi-direction solar collector with cross absorber plate and drying chamber. Solar thermal collector which was designed in the system is called a multi-direction solar collector because the solar radiation does not get the heat through the upper part but also on the lower sides. This situation will then increase the amount of heat that will absorb by the absorber plate. The cross absorber plate will be used in a multi-direction solar collector because it can be assembled row by row. Six sets of cross absorber plates are used in this system. PV/T airflow uses configuration-Z absorber plate which is placed under the photovoltaic (PV) module. The amount of heat produced from the PV/T configuration-Z is used as the pre-heat before the hot air flows to the multi-direction solar collector. While electric energy from PV is used to operate the ventilation fan. The solar dryer hybrid PV/T system tested its effectiveness in the field under the daily solar radiation. The total efficiency generated from PV/T configuration-Z system is in the range of 35% to 52%. For the multi-direction solar collector system, the output range was generated between 32.0 °C to 46.6 °C, whereas the thermal efficiency is in the range of 50% to 70%.