Stand-alone Photovoltaic System Research Articles

Design of actuator motor acceleration model in dual axis tracker movement for stand-alone PV system

Stand-alone photovoltaic system or PV is a power generation technology with potential that is environmentally friendly and also one of the solutions for saving high electricity rates today. However, problems that often occur due to weather fluctuations that are always changing, especially North Sumatra, Indonesia result in the conversion produced by solar cells not being optimal. Therefore, it is necessary to do a new model with a dual tracker system and the development of accelerator motor actuators so that the resulting energy conversion is more optimal. The result of optimizing the reliability of the polycrystalline type solar panel which is designed with an additional photovoltaic tracker system to maximize the conversion of solar energy to solar panels is to obtain an output power of 303.72 volts DC and 267.52 volts DC in the position where the tracker is not used. Then the percentage increase in energy reached 29.80%. Dual axis tracker technology is able to maximize energy conversion in improving PV usage performance. The implementation of a stand-alone PV system will be beneficial if the installation is in Indonesian territory, especially in disadvantaged, frontier and outermost areas.

Design of a Stand-Alone Photovoltaic (PV) System for a Three-Bedroom Apartment in Mubi, Adamawa State, Nigeria.

In the world today, electricity is also among the essential basic amenities of every human being because it drives the socio-economic activities of any country. More than 1.3 billion of the populations across the globe are living with low or no source of electricity. The lack of accessibility to electric power to this population brought an existence of a wide gap in current energy sources and this affected the growth of such population mostly residing in remote settlements of developing nations. Electrical energy is a significant feature for the economic and developmental advancement in every nation. Even with the abundance of many sources of energy (conventional and non-conventional sources) around the world and in Nigeria, there are still problems in accessing electricity which could be attributed to its generation, transmission, or distribution. These challenges hinder the socio-economic advancement of a country. About 95 million (55 % of Nigeria's population) Nigerians are living with no supply of electricity and the total power/electricity produced, there is about 30-35 % loss in the generated energy from transmission and distribution. This research studied the possibility of electrifying a three-bedroom apartment in Mubi's high residential layout using a solar photovoltaic system through the adoption of HOMER Software. The parameters/data used in this research work were obtained from the basic appliances usually found in an average household and from works of literature on studies performed on energy utilization in some residential areas in Nigeria, taking into consideration their power ratings, quantity, and solar component prices. These and some design considerations like system fixed capital operation and maintenance cost of ₦ 4,000 per year, project lifetime of 20 years, system fixed capital cost, discount rate of 9 %, average solar radiation data, coordinate of Mubi, among other parameters were applied in the HOMER software for the design, simulation and optimized results obtained. The optimized results indicate that a solar PV array of 5 kW comprising 25 solar panels of 200 W each, 10 sets of 12 V / 220 Ah batteries, and a 5000 VA inverter with charger are sufficient to accommodate the load of 16.086 kWh/day. The cost of energy (COE) with a 100 % renewable fraction is ₦ 410.94 / kWh.

A novel simplified buck power system control algorithm: Application to the emulation of photovoltaic solar panels

This paper proposes an innovative simplified two-stage algorithm for precise and durable regulation of the buck power systems. A critically damped of response is captured and synthesized in the first stage via a second order model. In the second stage, the desired robust response of the system is enforced and stirred by a new parameterless controller. The main feature of this controller is simplicity, which is facilitated by its independence from tunable control parameters. Practical numerical simulations that take into account the impact of plant uncertainties and noise measurements with varying variances are used to thoroughly assess the feasibility of the proposed controller. To highlight the main contribution of this paper, the devised control algorithm is juxtaposed with established controllers, namely the PSO-tuned versions of the sliding mode, backstepping, and PID controllers, alongside other cut cutting-edge controllers, revealing its prowess performance superiority and heightened structural simplicity. Finally, the suggested structure is integrated in a standalone photovoltaic system for appraisal of PV emulation potency. It is found to preserved a superior performance in the context of PV emulation as compared to existing emulators, achieving a dynamic efficiency of 97.85 % in the specific case of MPPT.

A high gain Z-source boost DC–DC converter with common ground for solar PV applications

This paper proposes a high-gain dc–dc converter with common ground utilizing a Z-source network for low voltage solar photovoltaic (PV) applications. This converter features a common ground and a high output–input voltage conversion factor at a low duty cycle. These converters find their most common application in grid-tied or stand-alone solar photovoltaic systems, particularly those with low output voltages that must be increased to the required level. The presented converter operating duty ratio is within 0–0.5 and maintains similar voltage stress on Z-network components since it employs the conventional Z-source configuration. The presented converter provides a common ground between source and load, unlike conventional Z-network converter. A type-2 closed-loop voltage controller and state–space average model evaluate the converter’s dynamic behavior for reliable and steady performance. A laboratory hardware prototype of 250 Watts is built and low gate signals are generated by using a ARM cortex M4 Microcontroller (STM32F407VGT6). The experimental results confirm that the proposed converter, with a gain of 10.46 and a power of 250 Watts, has a maximum efficiency of around 93%. The experimental results validates the effectiveness of the proposed converter under both constant and shifts in amounts of solar irradiation.

Exploring the Environmental Benefits of an Open-Loop Circular Economy Strategy for Automotive Batteries in Industrial Applications

Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) can overwhelm some of the environmental challenges of a low-carbon power sector through self-consumption with standalone photovoltaic (PV) systems. This solution can be adapted for different applications such as residential, commercial, and industrial uses. Furthermore, the option to employ second-life batteries derived from electric vehicles represents a promising opportunity for preserving the environment and improving the circular economy (CE) development. Nowadays, the industrial sector is progressively applying CE principles in their business strategies, and focusing on the potential positive consequences of CE eco-innovations on climate change mitigation. With the aim to promote the transition to an open-loop circular economy for automotive batteries, this study assesses and quantifies the potential environmental benefits resulting from the integration of a second-life battery-based BESS (SL-BESS) connected to an industrial machine. For this purpose, various scenarios involving the use of BESS, SL-BESS, and a standalone PV system are compared with a base case, where the machine is entirely powered by electricity from the grid. The examination of life cycle stages follows the life cycle assessment (LCA) cradle-to-grave methodology as outlined in ISO 14040:2006 and ISO 14044:2006/Amd 1:2017. Simapro® 9 is utilized as the software platform. Results demonstrate that the combination of the SL-BESS with a standalone photovoltaic (PV) system represents the optimal solution in terms of global warming potential (GWP) reduction, with a saving of up to −74.8%. However, manufacturing and end-of-life stages of PV and batteries contribute to abiotic depletion and human toxicity, resulting from the use of chemicals and the extraction of resources essential for their manufacture. Indeed, when BESS is made of new batteries, it demonstrates the most significant impacts in terms of AD at 1.22 × 10−1 kg Sb eq and human toxicity (HT) at 3.87 × 103 kg 1,4-DB eq, primarily attributable to the manufacturing stages of both BESS and PV systems. The findings represent a significant breakthrough, highlighting the substantial capacity of incorporating SL-BESS alongside renewable energy sources to mitigate GWP resulting from industrial applications, and the criticality of repurposing decommissioned batteries from the automotive industry for secondary use.

Operating Modes of Grid Integrated PV-Solar Based Electric Vehicle Charging System-A Comprehensive Review

The impact of air pollution on the world has been highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has contributed to the growth of emission-free and ecologically friendly transportation options such as electric vehicles (EVs). Between 2019 and 2020, EV sales climbed by 43%, and by 2025, 14 million EVs are expected to be sold worldwide. On the other hand, EVs have drawbacks such as expensive batteries, short lifespans, lack of EV dependability, limited driving range, and long charging periods. Integrating renewable energy sources (RESs) such as biomass, solar, and wind power into EV charging infrastructures is gaining popularity. PV solar-powered EV charging has benefits like cheaper fuel costs, easier installation, less demand on the grid for power, and cost savings. Hybrid and on-board charging systems offer benefits such as reduced weight, faster charging, and improved communication protocols. On-board chargers have higher energy transfer but are more expensive and difficult to integrate with charging stations. Off-board charging systems include public, rapid, induction, and home charging stations. Advanced charging management systems can optimize charging to preserve battery life. It is recommended that future research concentrate on the development of sophisticated control algorithms, integration of wireless charging, extension of fast-charging infrastructure, innovation in materials, compatibility with many vehicles, and optimization of grid interface to enhance efficiency and user experience. The charging of electric vehicles in standalone and grid-connected photovoltaic systems is covered in this paper, along with an explanation of the various modes of operation for these systems. There is also a quick explanation of the various kinds of EV chargers, their power capacities, and their specifications. The research and comparisons in this paper are expected to be useful resources for scholars who are interested in learning more about EV charging facilities.

CSA-based harmonic elimination controlled reduced switch multilevel inverter for standalone PV system

A standalone photovoltaic (PV) system has emerged as a clean energy solution for application in remote areas. To establish such a system a suitable converter is required for voltage boosting as well as to produce high-quality output as required by the load. To achieve this, multilevel inverters (MLIs) are the proven substitute in PV systems. A conventional MLI uses multiple sources and switches that increase the cost and complexity. To provide a complete stand-alone system solution that addresses this issue, reduced component switched capacitor (SC) based seven-level MLI is disclosed in this paper. A new crow search algorithm (CSA) based selective harmonic elimination (SHE) method is employed to estimate the switching angles. The dominant harmonic orders are removed from the 7-level SC-MLI output while the desired firing angles for the switches are evaluated. Using only seven switches, the circuit boosts the voltage to 1.5 times with the aid of self-balanced capacitors. Therefore, the circuit does not require an additional control circuit for voltage balancing. The overall system is designed in MATLAB/Simulink environment to test under different operating conditions. An experimental prototype of the 7-level SCMLI is also designed to validate the CSA-based SHE control and MLI performance in real time.

Performance improvement of a standalone PV system using supercapacitors: modeling and energy management

Standalone photovoltaic (PV) systems are the most common and practical application in remote areas and communities far from the power grid. However, in the case of supplying a pulsating load with only a battery as a storage unit, their performance degraded. Therefore, hybrid electrical energy storage (HEES) systems represent a viable solution. This paper investigates the impact of utilizing a supercapacitor (SC) to work cooperatively with a battery storage unit to enhance the overall system behavior. Two scenarios of battery storage systems with/without SC are considered. A comprehensive modeling and sizing approach is established and presented in detail. Then, an energy management system (EMS) is proposed to enhance the HEES system’s performance. A proportional-integral (PI)-based controller is designed and examined to control the power electronic converters and hence improve energy management. The HEES system operation is simulated and evaluated using MATLAB/Simulink to feed a pulsating load, where the drawn pulsated load current is composed of two components: one component is supplied by battery, and the other component is fed from SC. Finally, the performance of the two hybrid configurations is evaluated in terms of battery voltage and current fluctuations, transient response, and load voltage and current ripples. The obtained results demonstrate the effectiveness of introducing SCs into HEES system.

A Novel Design of a Low-Cost SCADA System for Monitoring Standalone Photovoltaic Systems

Standalone photovoltaic (PV) systems are pivotal in the global transition towards sustainable energy, offering reductions in fossil fuel dependence and helping homes and businesses lower electricity costs. Key to optimizing the performance and efficiency of standalone systems are supervisory control and data logging (SCADA) systems. They monitor and record operational data such as power output, facilitating early detection of potential issues. This paper introduced a novel design for both the Human-Machine Interface (HMI) and data storage in a SCADA system for standalone PV systems, addressing two crucial aspects: real-time monitoring and efficient data retrieval, both at very low cost. The proposed design utilized Bluetooth Low Energy technology to transmit voltage and current data from the PV panel to a mobile application, marking a departure from traditional HMI approaches. This method enabled historical data analysis for trend identification. Additionally, the system intermittently transferred collected data to a cost-effective cloud storage service via Wi-Fi, allowing for substantial data storage at no cost. Remote data storage, another key feature of this design, simplifies data retrieval, which is particularly beneficial for systems in rural areas. Emphasizing open-source development, this design ensured flexibility and customization options. To demonstrate its practical effectiveness of the design, a one-day power curve of the PV system and the battery voltage data are presented, showcasing the design's capability in handling extensive and remote data storage.

Nonlinear control of two-stage single-phase standalone photovoltaic system.

This paper presents a single-phase Photovoltaic (PV) inverter with its superior and robust control in a standalone mode. Initially, modeling and layout of the Buck-Boost DC-DC converter by adopting a non-linear Robust Integral Back-stepping controller (RIBSC) is provided. The controller makes use of a reference voltage generated through the regression plane so that the operating point corresponding to the maximum power point (MPP) could be achieved through the converter under changing climatic conditions. The other main purpose of the Buck-Boost converter is to act like a transformer and produce an increased voltage at the inverter input whenever desired. By not using a transformer makes the circuit size more compact and cost-effective. The proposed RIBSC is applied to an H-bridge inverter with an LC filter to produce the sinusoidal wave in the presence of variations in the output to minimize the difference between the output voltage and the reference voltage. Lyapunov stability criterion has been used to verify the stability and finite-time convergence of the overall system. The overall system is simulated in MATLAB/Simulink to test the system performance with different loads, varying climatic conditions and inverter reference voltages. The proposed methodology is compared with a back-stepping controller and Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controller under rapidly varying climatic conditions. Results demonstrated that the proposed technique yielded a tracking time of 0.01s, a total harmonic distortion of 9.71% and a root means square error of 0.3998 in the case of resistive load thus showing superior control performance compared to the state-of-the-art control techniques.

Analysis of a self-sufficient photovoltaic system for a remote, off-grid community

Background The escalating global population, surpassing seven billion in 2012, amplifies the strain on existing resources for food, housing, and conventional energy. Addressing these challenges requires the development of economically and environmentally viable renewable energy technologies. Photovoltaic (PV) solar modules stand out for their eco-friendly operation and reliability. In off-grid communities, stand-alone PV systems, coupled with battery storage, play a pivotal role in meeting electrical energy needs. Methods This study enhances the understanding of stand-alone PV systems through modeling and simulation using MATLAB software. A multi-crystalline PV system, specifically the Kyocera KC130GT, is investigated under varying conditions, and a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller is employed for battery charging. Results The study reveals profound effects on energy production based on the I-V and P-V characteristics of the modeled system when a PWM controller is utilized. The system demonstrates successful energy generation under different conditions, accounting for temperature variations and PV battery voltage mismatches. Conclusion The simulated model serves as a versatile system capable of detecting different conditions in varying light and temperature scenarios. Effective temperature monitoring, voltage adjustment using a suitable charger controller, and the selection of optimal materials for solar modules can significantly enhance the system’s efficiency. The results emphasize the importance of careful consideration of PV system sizing corresponding to battery capacity for improved solar system efficiency. While the cost of the modeled stand-alone PV system is currently low, scalability to larger projects may incur increased costs due to the high prices of photovoltaic panels, batteries, and other components.

Leveraging an installed standalone photovoltaic system for eco-friendly shipping

Leveraging an installed standalone photovoltaic system for eco-friendly shipping

Sizing and analysis of a standalone photovoltaics system for a three-bedroom residence in Nigeria

<span>The intermittency of electricity supply from conventional sources, increase in fuel prices and constant emission of greenhouse gases by non-renewable energy sources are major challenges faced by energy users. Energy from reneweable sources have advantages over the traditional (non-renewable) sources of energy. This paper presents the sizing and analysis of a standalone photovoltaic (PV) system for a 3-bedroom residence situated at Obollo-Nsukka (6.876°N, 7.403°E, 389 m) in Nigeria. The energy requirements of such a residence are 8.14 kWh/day and analysis have shown that the cost of constructing the PV system is ₦2,838,040 Nigeria naira (NGN). The cost of maintaining such a system within a lifetime of 20 years is between 159,328 NGN/year to 1,895,918 NGN/year. Comparing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of enugu electricity distribution company (EEDC) which is 66.5 NGN/kWh to the LCOE of the standalone PV system which is between 102,124 NGN/kWh to 419 NGN/kWh it was found out that the cost of electricity from the PV system is more than that of the conventional grid. <br /> The PV system provides feasible solution to the intermittency issues of the conventional grid in Nigeria. Hence, this technology only technically viable for residential electrification purposes in Nigeria.</span>

Comprehensive Performance Evaluation of New Photovoltaic/Serpentine Collectors using Response Surface Methodology: Energy, Exergy, and Environmental Perspectives

Addressing the global energy demand and climate change mitigation requires novel strategies for renewable energy utilization. Photovoltaic (PV) systems harness solar power and are critical contributors to this clean energy transition. However, stand-alone PV systems capture only a fraction of the incident solar energy, thus limiting their overall energy conversion efficiency. To overcome this limitation, this study investigates the performance of integrated photovoltaic/thermal (PV/Thermal) systems that generate electricity and leverage solar energy for thermal applications. This research compares a stand-alone PV panel and six other innovative PV/Thermal configurations. Each configuration exhibits a unique serpentine-based four-compartment thermal absorber design. A comprehensive energy, exergy, and CO2 emission reduction evaluation combined with the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) technique is assessed in this study. The RSM technique generates regression models for all proposed PV/Thermal designs that can predict the output response as a function of the weather data. Finally, the Energy Payback Time is assessed for both systems to evaluate their financial feasibility. The results reveal that the uncooled PV system shows the shortest EPBT, while the PV/Thermal system offers additional benefits through combined electricity and thermal energy generation. Regarding CO2 emissions and mitigation over their lifespan, the PV/Thermal system could reduce the annual CO2 emissions by an average of 6.42 tons per year.

Design and Feasibility Study of a Standalone Photovoltaic System for Electrifying a Healthcare Centre in a Rural Area of Malaysia: A Case Study

le="Abstract"] <p style="text-align: justify;">Malaysia is strategically located at the sunbelt viability, where it receives a large amount of sunshine every day. This makes the solar photovoltaic technology popularly utilized particularly in rural areas that are isolated from the main grid. These areas have the potential to use photovoltaic technology to meet load requirements. Compared to grid connected photovoltaic systems, standalone photovoltaic systems offer several benefits to system owners including low maintenance, low upkeep cost, no waste or by-products, and easy expansion through the use of multiple solar panels and batteries. This article presents a design phase of the Standalone Photovoltaic System (SAPVS) to electrify the healthcare centre in Kampung Tewowoh, Kluang, Johor. The design steps for SAPVS are discussed to obtain the required parameter for each component in the SAPVS. The results indicate that 16 panels, 1219.52Ah/day, 1437.5A and 350 (A) are needed for the PV panels, battery capacity, inverter, and charge controller, respectively. It is proven that SAPVs are technically viable and feasible for electrifying the healthcare centre in the specified area.

A numerical study on the performance of a hybrid ventilation and power generation system

Ventilation, cooling and power are essential requirements of buildings. Integration of solar chimney, earth-air heat exchanger and photovoltaic panel forms a new hybridsystem, which is able to provide simultaneous ventilation, cooling capacity and electricity in an effective manner for buildings. The contribution of this study is to quantitatively identify the thermal and electrical performances of the hybrid system using a comprehensive validated numerical model. In addition, a parametric study was also performed to examine the effect of the number of EAHE pipe and solar collector on the performance of the hybrid system in order to further enhance the system performance. The results revealed that the peak daytime ventilation of the proposed hybrid system is reduced by 22.05 % compared to the ventilation system of solar chimney integrated with earth-air heat exchanger, and the outlet air temperature is reduced by 0.12 °C in average; the indoor temperatures for the hybrid and ventilation systems are slightly different. Moreover, the minimum electrical efficiency of hybrid system is 1.34 % higher than that for stand-alone photovoltaic system. Increasing the number of earth-air heat exchangers leads to more than 36.43 % increase in peak ventilation volume and 3.7 % improvement in electrical efficiency. In addition, increasing the quantity of solar chimney-photovoltaic modules can effectively increase the induced ventilation volume, and the outlet air temperature, but has slight effect on the temperature and electrical efficiency of photovoltaic panel. Therefore, the hybrid system not only can supply appropriate ventilation but also can generate electric power to buildings. The findings provide a preliminary guidance for optimizing design of the hybrid system.

NOVEL SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC EMULATION FOR VALIDATING THE MAXIMUM POWER POINT ALGORITHM AND POWER CONVERTER

The photovoltaic (PV) source emulator plays an essential role in evaluating the performance of solar PV arrays, maximum power point (MPPT algorithms), power converters, and control algorithms in the rapidly growing field of solar power generation. This paper presents a novel neural network (NN)--based solar array emulator (SAE) for emulating PV array dynamic characteristics. The proposed SAE reference model, developed using NN, replicates PV array characteristics with a programmable dc power source's support under varying environmental conditions. A 640 W stand-alone PV system is designed and tested using the proposed SAE to validate its performance under various environmental conditions. The performance of the NN-based SAE with the MPPT algorithm is evaluated and compared to the conventional diode-based SAE. The results showed that the proposed NN-based SAE had good accuracy in emulating the dynamic characteristics of the PV array and was faster in execution than the conventional diode-based SAE. The output results of the developed NN-based SAE demonstrate its potential for evaluating MPPT algorithms and power converters.

Study and simulation of MPPT techniques to control a stand-alone photovoltaic system under varying irradiance

Study and simulation of MPPT techniques to control a stand-alone photovoltaic system under varying irradiance

Implementation of Intelligent Controller for Maximum Power Point Tracking Control of Solar Power Generation System

This paper presents the improved model of solar photovoltaic module and back propagation neural network based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for boost converter in a standalone photovoltaic system under variable temperature and insulation in static and dynamic conditions. Solar panel is a power source having nonlinear internal resistance. As the intensity of light falling on the panel varies, its voltage as well as its internal resistance both varies. To extract maximum power from the panel, the load resistance should be equal to the internal resistance of the panel. Maximum power point trackers are used to operate a photovoltaic panel at its maximum power point in order to increase the system efficiency. This is done, with the aid of MATLAB and Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms is important in PV systems becauseit reduces the PV array cost by reducing the number of PV panels required to achieve the desired outputpower. This paper presents à comparative simulation study of two important MPPT algorithms specifically perturb and observe and incremental conductance. These algorithms are widely used because of its low-cost and ease of realization. Some important parameters such as voltage, current and power output for each different combination have been traced for both algorithms. KEYWORDS: :- Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT), Solar Photovoltaic system (SPV), ANN, SNN, DNN, Boost converter, MATLAB.

Fuzzy logic control based MPPT for standalone photovoltaic system with battery storage

<span lang="EN-US">Considering its favorable characteristics, photovoltaic energy is widely recognized as highly beneficial to the environment. To achieve continuous maximum output power across the PV system, an efficient control strategy is developed after studying several maximum power point detection (MPPT) techniques. Consequently, this paper presents a useful control technique for maximizing power extraction from PV systems under varying conditions. The paper focuses on the design of a fuzzy logic control (FLC)-based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) system for a standalone photovoltaic (SAPV) system with battery storage. The FLC is employed to extract the maximum power from a PV module and integrate it with the battery to supply the load. The FLC offers advantages over conventional MPPT methods, such as accurate and rapid response to changes in environmental conditions, including solar irradiance and temperature. The PV system exhibits low total harmonic distortion (THD), making it ideal for household appliances, and can deliver 230 Vrms of single-phase output AC power. The system is designed and implemented in MATLAB/Simulink, incorporating a solar module, DC-to-DC converters, battery storage, and an inverter for supplying AC loads. Simulation results for selected test conditions are presented and discussed. The system performance is evaluated through steady state tests and dynamic tests in simulations.</span>