SOLAR POWER PLANT DESIGN

A Paper
Presented to
The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Department
and the College of Engineering
Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
Sta. Mesa, Manila

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirement of the
Solar Energy and Wind Energy Utilization - MEEN 40053

Submitted By:

Dayola, Rgie A.
Vivas, Julius Gulliver J.

Submitted To:

Engr. Armingol Morales

BSME 4-3
1.0 INTRODUCTION

Renewable energy, often known as clean energy, is produced using renewable

resources or activities that are continually renewed. For example, sunshine and wind
continue to shine and blow, even if their availability is dependent on time and weather.

While renewable energy is frequently considered of as a new technology, harnessing

the power of nature has long been utilized for heating, transport, illumination, and other
purposes. Wind has propelled ships across the oceans and windmills to crush grain.
The sun has supplied heat throughout the day, and it has assisted in keeping fires
burning until late at night.

Photovoltaic’s (PV) are thought to have a low environmental effect, producing no

noise or chemical pollutants during operation. It is one of the most practical urban
renewable energy solutions, replacing conventional building cladding materials. When
compared to traditional energy sources, Solar Energy Technologies or SETs have
enormous environmental benefits. In addition to not depleting natural resources, their
key advantage is the lack of practically all air pollutants or waste products in most
circumstances. In other words, SE is a virtually completely pure and safe energy
source.

The Philippine government favours solar energy because of its low

environmental effect. In 2021, solar energy will account for 0.7% of total electricity
consumption in the country. The increased usage of solar energy makes sense given
the Philippines' ongoing vulnerability to an average of 16 typhoons each year, in
addition to the occasional rain. When severe disasters happen, electricity outages
become one of the people's primary worries. Solar panels are designed to resist
extreme weather conditions, making them an ideal energy source for the Philippines.
Given that other renewable energy sources, such as hydro and geothermal, require
years to establish, solar energy installation becomes the most convenient alternative for
both short- and long-term use. Among other Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines
is becoming a global leader in renewable energy, generating 47% of its energy from
green or renewable sources. The Philippine government aspires to become energy self-
sufficient by creating a mix of fossil and renewable energy sources. It is part of the
National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) 2020-2040, which intends to have 35% of
the power generating mix from green sources by 2030, and 50% by 2040. Solar energy
is a key factor in achieving this aim. Solar energy now accounts for 896 megawatts
(MW) of the 7.1 gigatonnes (GW) of recognized renewable energy capacity in the
Philippines, trailing only hydropower at 4.3 GW.
 Solar panels, which absorb the sun's rays as a source of energy for power or
warmth, must also be considered. Without a storage device, such as a battery, solar
energy cannot work at night, and overcast weather can lead to unreliability during the
day. Solar energy is still beneficial, but more study is needed to have a better
knowledge of how to optimize its advantages.

This study attempts to present a design for a solar power plant that would generate
clean and sustainable energy. The goal of the project is to stabilize the country's energy
supply, reduce dependency on imported fossil fuels, and mitigate the consequences of
climate change. It is expected to offer local jobs throughout the duration of the project
and plant’s construction and operation phases.

1.1 PROJECT RATIONALE

The planned solar farm project proposes to build a 5.04 Megawatt solar power plant in
Hermosa, Bataan Province, to provide clean and sustainable energy. The solar farm will
take up 40,000 square meters of flat ground for the construction of its photovoltaic (PV)
panels as well as its facilities, which will contain storage for the plant inverter, a battery
bank, and a transformer-to-grid chamber. The solar farm will subsequently be linked by
a transmission line to the electricity plant at the Hermosa Substation.

The project is intended to create local jobs throughout the plant's building and operating
phases, and it intends to contribute to the country's energy supply stability, reduce
reliance on imported fossil fuels, and minimize the effects of climate change.

1.2 PROJECT SIZE

The overall development area of the project is roughly 40,000 sq m.

1st Figure displays the planned project's site development map

2.0 SITE SELECTION AND SOLAR POWER PLANT LAY OUT

This section includes the lay- out and design of the proposed 5.04 MW Solar
Power Plant in Hermosa, Bataan. The Hermosa, Bataan Proposed Solar power station
will be built near the NGCP, Hermosa, Substation to aid the people’s increasing
electricity demand as the Province of Bataan progresses. The section will also involves
the site selection and conditions will includes the important elements to consider in
constructing the 5.04 Solar Power Plant.

2.1 SITE CONSIDERATIONS

The following considerations in selecting the specific area where the 5.04 MW
Solar power plant are taken into account which promotes the accessibility and reliability
of the proposed Solar Power Plant.

 Site Area - Several factors, such as the PV module technology chosen, the
quantity of space required is influenced by the amount of space required for
repairs and cleaning, as well as the distance across arrays. The latitude of a site
effects local decision-making.

 Site Climate - Cold temperatures are ideal for solar panel efficiency. A solar
panel will generate power as long as sunshine strikes it. Any decrease in output
during the winter months will be attributable mostly to heavy snow and reduced
daylight hours. Located at an elevation of 102.19 meters (335.27 feet) above sea
level, Bataan has a Tropical monsoon climate (Classification: Am). The city's
yearly temperature is 28.08ºC, which is indeed just the right climate for the
proposed Solar Power Plant.

 Site Accessibility - The solar farm requires efficient maintenance and

monitoring. The chosen area must be easily accessible and have large, well-
maintained roadways. This lets you simply distribute the gathered power to the
closest grid lines.

 Site Land Use - Large-scale PV panels are usually installed on less expensive
land. If the solar system owner does not already own the property, the cost of
obtaining it should be considered. The fields which surrounds the proposed area
and its proponents must also be considered because they are owned mostly by
farmers.

2.2 SITE LOCATION

The Solar Power Farm was chosen for its position in the north-eastern region of Bataan,
province. At this site, the proponents opted to establish a solar farm to aid in the
distribution of clean and sustainable energy, as well as to assist the existing solar farms,
RASLAG V Solar Power Plant and YH Solar Power Plant Company, which have a
combined output of 34 MW Peak. The climate of Hermosa, Bataan province, is tropical
monsoon. The annual temperature in the city is 28.08 degrees centigrade, which is ideal
for the planned Solar Power Plant. The Solar Farm will be constructed at 14.863872" N,
120.500370" E, near the NGCP Hermosa Substation, estimating the solar industry's
land footprint. Its cost includes maintenance, site access, and site development around
the solar arrays. As a result, the anticipated size for a 5.04 Megawatt power plant in
Hermosa, Bataan is 40,000 square meters.

1st Figure displays the planned project's site development map

2.3 SITE VICINITY

Proposed
5.04 MW Solar Power
Farm
2nd Figure displays the Proposed 5.04 MW Solar Power Farm in Hermosa, Bataan

3rd Figure displays the Proposed 5.04 MW Solar Power Farm in Hermosa, Bataan
Plant Lay-out

BATTERY
INVERTER

4th Figure displays the Solar Power Plant Apparatuses

3.0 FORMULAS AND CALCULATIONS

Solar Power Plant uses clean, renewable energy. Solar cells at this plant
convert sunlight into electrical power. Solar cells are composed of layers of pure silicon
and semiconductor materials. A solar power plant is also environmentally friendly
because it produces no hazardous waste or pollutants. Solar radiation, temperature,
shadow leverages, solar panel slope, and solar panel direction are all factors that
impact the output power of solar cell efficiency.

Since solar farms rely on sunlight to generate energy, several factors must be
taken into account when estimating the overall power output of a solar farm. These
factors include the number of panels, the maximum energy output per panel, the
inverter efficiency and associated power losses, the daily runtime of the solar panels,
and others. The calculations which will show below will include the average power
which the 5.04 MW Solar Power plant will produce.

𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑠 𝑘𝑊ℎ
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑅𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑃ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠 = 162 = 5.5 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑎𝑦
𝑚2 𝑚2
The average solar radiation in the Philippines approximately 162 Watts per square
meter or 5.5 kWh per square meter according to Solaren Power Philippines (a
renewable energy company in the PH)
𝑘𝑊ℎ
5.5 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑎𝑦
𝑚2
𝑘𝑊ℎ 𝑘𝑊ℎ
5.5 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑥 30 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 = 165 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ
𝑚2 𝑚2
𝑘𝑊ℎ 𝑘𝑊ℎ
5.5 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑥 365 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 = 2007.5 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟
𝑚2 𝑚2

𝑘𝑊ℎ 𝑘𝑊ℎ 𝑘𝑊ℎ

DAILY ( ) MONTHLY ( ) ANNUAL ( )
𝑚2 𝑚2 𝑚2

5.5 165 2007.5

The average solar radiation in the Philippines according to Philippines (a renewable

energy company in the PH)

ACTUAL POWER PLANT

3.1 Calculating the Maximum Power Output:

Solar Arrays = 28 Solar Arrays
Solar Panels per Array = 400 Panels/ Array
Capacity Per Panel = 450 W/ Panel

𝑀𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 = 𝐶𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑃𝑒𝑟 𝑃𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑙 𝑥 𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑃𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑙 𝑃𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑦 𝑥 𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝐴𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑦𝑠
𝑊 𝑃𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑙𝑠
= 450 𝑥 400 𝑥 28 𝐴𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑦𝑠 = 5.04 𝑀𝑊
𝑃𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑙 𝐴𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑦
𝟓. 𝟎𝟒 𝑴𝑾 𝒙 𝟖𝟕𝟔𝟎 𝒉𝒓𝒔 = 𝟒𝟒𝟏𝟓𝟎. 𝟒 𝑴𝑾𝒉 𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓 (𝑴𝒂𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒖𝒎 𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒚 𝑶𝒖𝒕𝒑𝒖𝒕)

3.2 Calculating the Daily Power Output:

Note: Use Cap. Factor of 25% (Average Solar Plant Capacity Factor)

𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑎𝑑 = 𝐶𝑎𝑝. 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑥 𝑀𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡

= 0.25 𝑥 5.04 𝑀𝑊 = 1.26 𝑀𝑊

3.3 Materials

Parts Material

Solar Panel 430-450 W Solar Panel

MA/TallMAX M
DC to AC Inverter
DE17M(II)

Solar Panel Rack Ground Mounted

Battery Pack Storages to

Battery
Hermosa Power Station

MPPT PWN Charge solar

Charge Controller
controller

Solar Infrastructures Cement, Asphalt

3.4 Material Costing

Price
Material

Php 1,200/ pc x 17500 pc =

430-450 W Solar Panel
Php 21,000,000.00

Php 58,000/ pc x 350 pc =

MA/TallMAX M
DE17M(II) Php 20,475,000.00

Php 280/ pc x 17500 Panels =

Ground Mounted
Php 4,900,000.00

Battery Pack Storages to -

Hermosa Power Station
Php 20,000/ pc x 17500=
MPPT PWN Charge solar
controller Php 350,000,000.00

9000000 kg cement =
Cement, Asphalt
Php 38,000,000.00

Php 434,375,000 or approx. Php

TOTAL
440,000,000
REFERENCES:

https://www.trinasolar.com/en-glb/product/Tianjing72-de17mII

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ammar-
Alkhalidi/publication/322738988/figure/fig3/AS:614270878359558@1523464998098/Th
e-Relationship-among-cell-module-and-array.png

https://www.google.com.ph/maps/place/NGCP+Hermosa+Substation/@14.8653794,12
0.4961828,15.75z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x339667c7b5410e81:0xdb3deea38bc07606!8m2
!3d14.866157!4d120.4948766!16s%2Fg%2F11c6dzg3v4!5m1!1e4?hl=en&authuser=0

http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2018/ph240/centeno1/