Summary of Engineering Handbook

Chapter 3 Project Phases

1. Project Origination
2. Project development:
a. Site evaluation: Check whether the site is suitable for PV installation
b. Capacity check: Module layout (PVdesign)
c. Preliminary design: (AutoCAD, PVcase)
d. Yield estimation: Using PVsyst
3. Handover process between project development and project management
4. Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC):
a. Engineering:
i. Define project specification
ii. Prepare design
iii. Engagement of expert consultant
b. Procurement:
i. Details of offshore equipment
ii. Support procurement
iii. Coordinate with supply chain
iv. Prepare vendor
c. Construction:
i. Manage site contractors
ii. Review incoming design
iii. Control the process flow
5. Operations

Chapter 4 General Concept

Technical setups

1. String inverter concept:

- Modules are bundled in strings
- 60kW, 100kW, 175kW are used in solar farm
- DC voltage: 800 – 1500V
- Connect to AC junction box/low voltage panel of transformer station

2. Communication flow:
- Power line communication (PLC)
- Connect inverter and transformer station

3. Transformer station:
- Consist of low-voltage panel, step-up transformer, medium voltage ring main unit, auxiliary
power source
- 800 – 2500 kVA
Foundations

- Pre-cast concrete foundations: For small scale project, corrosive soil

- On-site poured concrete foundations: Cheaper
- Precast concrete ballast: Ground that is difficult to penetrate (hard soil)
- Driven piles: Large scale project (faster, accuracy, cheaper)
- Earth screw (softer soil)

Mounting Systems

- Fixed-tilt systems: Cheaper, but the tilt angle should be adjusted due to soil, snow, shading
- Fixed-tilt system (dual): Larger area, less installation cost
- Single axis tracking system: Can track the sunlight, higher solar irradiation
- Floating systems: No take space on land, cool down solar panel

Chapter 5 Electrical Concept

1. String concept and inverter sizing

a. Daisy Chain method
b. Leapfrog method: Save cable than daisy chain method
c. Two-row connection: Save the most cable, but will have shading loss
2. No. of modules in a string
a. Maximum number: Total voltage <= maximum DC input voltage
b. Minimum number: should keep the system work within the range of Maximum
power point (MPP). (Higher temperature  lower voltage)
c. Voltage optimization: Array operating voltage = inverter optimum voltage
3. Inverter sizing:
a. DC/AC ratio should between 1.1 – 1.4 (some cases the inverter size should be larger
to meet the reactive power, hence DC/AC ratio will be lower)
b. Active power = VIcos(); reactive power = VIsin()
c. Power factor = Real power/Apparent Power = 1
Electrical Engineering Design

1. Cable types:
a. DC-cable looms
b. AC cable from inverter to AJCB:
i. AC junction box  combiner box
ii. Should be extruded XLPE
iii. Should be UV resistant, avoid exposure to sunlight
c. AC cable from inverter to transformer station
i. XLPE sheathed
ii. Can use copper and aluminium wire (due to voltage drop and ampacity
compliance)
d. Calculation:
i. For DC: Average voltage drop across whole site <= 1% at 40C
ii. For AC: Average voltage drop across whole reticulation network <= 1.5% at
40C
iii. Cable ampacity: minimum buffer of 10% on top
iv. Reduction factors

High/Medium voltage concept (transformer station)

- A substation should have transformer to change voltage level to high transmission voltages.
- The connection point voltage is at medium level so no need transformer
- Low voltage: up to 1000V
- Medium voltage: 1000 – 35kV
- High voltage: 35 – 230 kV
- Extra high voltage: 230 kV and above
- Specification:
o Structural specification
o Thermal sizing and ventilation
o Lighting
o Electrical cables in substation
o Earthing system
o Protection relays
o Equipment selection
Monitoring system

- Allow yield of the plant to be monitored and compared with theoretical calculations and
raise warnings daily if there is problem
- Voltage, current are monitored at inverter
- Data from weather station, inverters, combiner boxes, meters and transformers will be
collected in data loggers and passed to monitoring station
- Minimum parameter:
o Plane of array irradiance (POA) and horizontal plane irradiance
o Ambient temperature
o Module temperature
o Array DC voltage and current
o Inverter AC power
o Power to the utility grid
o Power from the utility grid

Earthing

- Provide protection to the equipment

o DC earthing
o AC earthing
o AC EHV (extra high voltage) earthing
o Lightning and surge protection
o Other: SCADA, CCTV
o Substation earthing
o Fence
- Inefficient DC earthing cause
o module capacitance (cell will be like a capacitor)
o leakage current: transformer-less topology
o potential induced degradation: voltage on module and leakage current (due to
humidity and dust on the panels cause sodium ions to affect module’s performance)

o Transparent conductive oxide (TCO) corrosion: TCO allows electronic conduction

without the application of front and back contact.
- AC earthing: inverter, transformer, panel
o Low voltage AC earthing  TT system, TN system, IT system
o TN system can divided into TN-C, TN-S, TN-C-S system
o TT: earthed neutral (source and load separately connected to earth)
 o TN: neutral is earthed at transformer side only
o IT: isolated or impedance-earthed neutral

Chapter 9: Yield studies

Question: pg10, pg 24, pg25, pg32, pg 33

Things to do in site visit

- Name of customer, location, expected capacity

- Roof overview (decide whether install or not)
o Roof condition (materials, damage)
o Tilt angle  safety
o Structure
*Arrange consultant to see structure of rooftop
- Mark the location of electrical room (to determine the usage of cable)
o PV-MSB will be placed at existing MSB
o Inverter and PV-MDP can be placed at suitable place
- Electrical system (get SLD from them)
o Point out all location of component

Solar System Design

No of module  No. of inverter

- 8 - 10 modules become a string

- 3 strings combine into one through harness
- 3-in-1 string connect to String Combiner Box
- String Combiner Box connect to inverter

BOQ

- Panel, mounting structure, dc cable, inverter, monitoring control (BayWa r.e. to buy)
- PV-MDB, PV-TOU (subcon to buy)
How to plan a project

1. Project Development
a. Letter of Award
b. Internal Investment Approval
c. Kick off meeting (with client)
2. Engineering Design
a. PV design
b. Preparation works and documentation (method statement, safety & health plan,
traffic management)
3. Procurement
4. Permitting & Authorities Applications Preparation
5. Site Work Activities
6. Final Acceptance
American Wire Gauge (AWG)

- If wire < AWG, less resistance  current flowing from panel will arrive safely
- Procedures:
o Estimate voltage drop index (VDI):
 Total amperage (electricity)
 Length of cable in one way (feet)
 Voltage drop percentage
Amperage× lengt h
 VDI ¿
% voltage drop × voltage of panel
VDI Gauge
1 = # 16
2 = # 14
3 = # 12
5 = # 10
8 =#8
12 =#6
20 =#4
34 =#2
49 = # 1/0
62 = # 2/0
78 = # 3/0
99 = # 4/0
Circuit Breaker (CB)

- Function: Switch that break supply of circuit when current > its rated current
- Reason of current exceed: i) Overloading ii) Short circuit iii) Voltage spikes
- Method to break (separate the contact):
o Mechanical energy: Spring, compressed air
o Use fault current: Thermal expansion, electromagnetic force
- After breaking, will have arc (due to high voltage). Arc will create damage in CB contact
or terminal (due to heat caused by high current)
- Arc extinction:
o Use medium: Air, vacuum, insulating oil, insulating gas (SF6)
o Use other methods:
 Cooling of arc: Hot air  ionized gas molecules  lower resistance;
so cool air can increase resistance  so it is more difficult to create
arc (need higher voltage)
 Air blasting: Arc is quenched by compressed air, ionized air particles
replaced by neutralized air particles  increase resistance
 Increasing length of arc: Need higher voltage
 Reducing cross-section of arc: Reduce contact sizes  higher voltage
is needed
 Deflect arc: Use magnetic field to blow arc
 Dividing/splitting arc: Split into multiple arc by multiple contacts in
between. Split into several arcs  increase length  increase
resistance
 Zero current quenching: Used in AC CB. As AC will reach zero current
spontaneously, so circuit is open at the exact zero current  no arc.
 Using charged capacitor in parallel: Used in DC CB. Charged
capacitor and inductor is connected in parallel to create zero current
point.
- Types of CB:
o AC Circuit Breaker (ACCB): Use zero current quenching method. But high
voltage will need more complicated method to extinguish.
 High Voltage ACCB (HVCB): More than 1000V
 Oil Circuit Breaker (OCB): The contact is immersed in
transformer oil, so heat is dissolved by oil, but arc is still
created  release heat  vaporize oil become H2 or bubbles
 pressure increase  deionization of medium increase 
quenching arc

o Bulk Oil CB (BOCB): Compressed gas (bubbles),

distance of contact increase, quenching of oil
 Single Break BOCB: One fixed contact with one
moving contact
 Double Break BOCB: Two fixed contacts with 1
moving contact
o Minimum Oil CB (MOCB): Use less oil to reduce risk of
fire hazard
 Axial Venting MOCB: Horizontal
 Radial Venting MOCB: Vertical
 Oil Impulse CB: Has external pressure to move
the contact  high or low current can use

 Oil-Less Circuit Breaker:

o Air Circuit Breaker (ACB): Used for short circuit &
overcurrent protection up to 15kV & 800-10kA.
Preferable due to no fire hazards.
  Plain air CB: Has several metallic plates that
can split arc into small arcs  increase voltage
to maintain the arc, air cool off the arc  arc is
extinguished; Used in low voltage applications

 Arc-Chute Air Break CB: Has 2 contacts (main,

arcing contact), main contact open  arc will go
to arcing contact  arching contact open  arc
is extinguished
 Magnetic Blowout ACB: Generate magnetic
field  deflect arc into arc chute  increase arc
length, at same time air will cool down arc, can
be up to 11kV
 Air Blast CB

o Air Blast CB
o SF6 CB
o CO2 CB
o Vacuum CB
o Miniature CB (MCB):
 Acts as a fuse
  Open automatically when the current flowing through them exceeds
the value they set
 Used in low voltage circuits (240/415V AC)
 Advantages:
 More sensitive than fuse
 Faulty area can be easily identified
 Better interface due to a knob
 Disadvantages
 More expensive
o Moulded case CB (MCCB):
 High current rating up to 2500A
 Use thermal-magnetic tripping mechanism (thermal: overloading;
magnetic: short circuit)
 Overloading: create heat  bend the bimetallic bar  contact is
opened
 Short circuit  solenoid will create a magnetic field  push the
contact
 Pros:
 Compact in size and save a lot of space
 Can switched on and off easily
 Cons:
 more costly than MCB
 requires regular maintenance
 need cooling if there is a lot of MCCB
o Switchgear:
 A switching device used in controlling, protecting, isolating power
system
 Composed of fuses, switches, relays, isolators, CB
o DCCB
o Fuse: Current conducting wire that easily melted when exceed current occur
 interrupt circuit
o Switch fuse: Combination of a switch and fuse
 Higher current rating than fuse
- SLB of circuit
- TPN: Triple pole + neutral
- SPD: Surge Protective Devices
 o Protect electrical installation which consists of consumer unit, wiring and
accessories from electrical power surges (transient overvoltage)
o When transient voltage occur, SPD will limit the transient voltage and diverts
the current back to its source or ground.
o SPD has two modes: high impedance and low impedance.
 At normal operating voltage: SPD is in high impedance, so it won’t
affect the circuit
 When there is transient voltage, SPD will become low impedance, so
it will divert current to ground
o Important parameter:
 Maximum continuous operating voltage (MCOV): Maximum voltage
that the device can withstand and continue to operate
 Voltage Protection Rating (VPR)
 Nominal Discharge Current Rating: Peak value of current that can be
conducted through SPD after 15 applied surges (3 – 40kA).
 Indication status
 Surge current capacity
- IDMT: Inverse definite minimum time relay
o Used to trip CB quicker when fault current occurs
- EF/OC: Earth fault/overcurrent relay
o EF: Any failure that allow unintended connection of power circuit conductors
with the earth
- CT: Current transformer
o 5P10: A protection class CT having an accuracy of 5% over a current range
of 10 times of normal primary current rating.
 E.g. A 1600/5 A CT will maintain its measurement accuracy of 5%
when the primary current is 16000A.
o Load which may be a display or protection device in secondary of CT should
not exceed 15VA
- RCD: Residual current device
o Device that quickly breaks the circuit with leakage current to ground to
prevent serious harm from ongoing electric shock.
o Should be located close to point of interconnection and is accessible
Inverter

- Convert fixed DC  variable AC

- Two types:
o Single-phase inverter (Half bridge inverter): Composed by 2 switching devices
(DC  AC), diodes and capacitors (help circuit to operate smoothly)
 Working principle:

o Three-phase inverter

(Inverter : Operating Principle,Circuit, Classification and Applications (watelectrical.com))

MPPT: Maximum power point tracker  charge controller, can adjust load on solar array 
adjust voltage (increase load, decrease voltage), so can find the best voltage to give highest
power