A REPORT ON SOLAR PV SYSTEM DESIGN OF THE NTC,

CLINIC
BY: THE TECHNICAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, NTC-NAEC

A solar PV system design can be done in four steps:

i. Load estimation

ii. Estimation of number of PV panels

iii. Estimation of battery bank

iv. Cost estimation of the system.

SYSTEM INPUTS AND PRELIMINARY PRODUCT DATA

1. List of appliances and daily usage

a. (2) Fridges (110 watts each), combined rated wattage, 220 watts and use 24 hours/day

with compressor 12 hrs on; 12 hrs off.

b. Heating incubator, 250 watts, used 18 hours/day

c. Microscope, 100 watts, used 6 hours/day

d. (15) ceiling fans (75 watts each), combined rated wattage, 1125 watts, used 6

hours/day.

e. (40) lights (15 watts each) combined rated wattage, 600 watts.

f. Television, 250 watts, used 6 hours/day

2. Solar PV Data

a. Product: Electric

b. Power: 300 watts [at STC i.e 1000 watts/m2 and 25o C]

c. Current = 7.90 Amp

d. Maximum Voltage at STC = 37.98 Volt

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 e. Short Circuit Current (Isc) = 8.45 A

f. Open Circuit Voltage = 44.82V

g. Guaranteed Power Output = 300 x 0.9 = 270 watt

h. Peak Sun hours at Optimum tilt = 3.8 hours

3. Battery Inputs and Specification

a. Days of Storage desired/required = 7days

b. Depth of Discharge limit (typical value) = 0.8

c. Battery Model = Luminous battery (Deep Cycle)

d. Battery cell voltage = 12V

e. Capacity = 220Ah

f. System Voltage (battery bus voltage) = 48V

g. Battery round trip efficiency = 0.85

4. Inverter

a. Inverter Input (DC) = 48 V

b. Inverter Output (AC) = 220V

c. Efficiency = 85%

d. Model: Luminous Inverter

5. Charge Controller Specification

Luminuous

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 CALCULATION AND ANALYSIS

Inverter Efficiency = 85%

Battery Bus Voltage = 48V

Inverter Output AC Voltage =220V

Loads

Appliances Rated Adjustment Adjusted Hours/day Energy

Wattage Factor Wattage used per day
(watts) used
Refrigerator

(2 x 110w) 220 0.85 259 12 3108

Microscope 100 0.85 118 6 708

Celing Fans

(15 x 75w) 1125 0.85 1324 6 7944

Lights

(40x 15w) 600 0.85 706 6 4236

Television 250 0.85 294 6 1764

TOTAL 2295 2701 17760

 The total adjusted energy requirement of the system (total adjusted load) i.e Total

connected load to PV panel System = No. of units × rating of equipment = 2701 watts

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 Total watt-hours rating of the system = Total connected load (watts) × Operating hours =

17760 watt-hours

 Total energy demand per day (Amp-hour) = 370 Amp-hour

Battery Sizing

Maximum rated power of appliances (watt) = 2294 watt

Maximum Adjusted Power Required = 2704 watts

Days of Autonomy = 3

Allowable Depth of Discharge = 0.7

Required battery Capacity = 1585.7143 Amp- Hours

Number of Batteries in Parallel = 1585.7143/220 Ah

= 7 batteries

Number of Batteries in Series = 48/12 = 4 batteries

Total Number of batteries need = 7 x 4 = 28 batteries

Therefore 28 – 220Ah batteries would be needed for the solar system.

Actual Installed Capacity: Total battery Capacity (Amp-hours) = 220 x 7 = 1540 Amp-hours

PV Array

Total Energy demand/ day = 17760 Wh/day

Battery round trip efficiency = 0.85

Required Array Output/ day (Wh) = 17760

= 20894 watt-hours

Selected PV Module Maximum Power Voltage at STC = 37.98 x 0.85

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 = 32.28 V

Peak Sunshine hours = 3.8

Energy Output per module in a day = 270 x 3.8 = 1026 Wh

Module Energy Output at Optimum temperature = 0.9 x 1026

= 923.4 watt-hours

Total Number of modules required to meet energy requirement = 20894/923.4

= 22 modules

Number of modules required per string rounded up = 48/32.28 = 2 modules

Number of modules in parallel = 22/2 = 11 modules

Nominal Rated PV module = 300 watts

Nominal Rated array output = 22 x 300 = 6600 watts

Inverter Sizing

 Inverter size is to be calculated as: Total connected load to PV panel system = 2701 watts

With 25% safety margin the inverter power rating: 2701 x 1.25 =- 3376.25 watt

 Inverter are available with rating of 1KVA, 2KVA, 3KV, 5KVA etc.

Therefore, the choice of the inverter should be 5KVA. The main reason is because of

initial power drawn when appliances are switched is almost twice there rating.

Charge Controller Sizing

PV array Current = Isc x PVp x safety factor

Isc = 8.45 Amp; PVp = 11; Safety Factor 25%

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PV array current = 8.45 x 11 x 1.25

= 116 Amps

The rating of charge controller is 48V, 120 Amps

Load Current (Maximum Controller output current)

Maximum DC Load Current = Total Adjusted Power / DC system Voltage

= 57 Amps

Cable Sizing

A = ρ x L x I x 2/ Vd

a. Cable Sizing between PV array and charge controller

Vd = 4% x Vmodule

Vd = 4/100 x 48 = 1.92 V

A = ρ x L x I x 2/Vd

Imax = 116 Amp.

Area = 1.724 x 10-4 x 4 x 116 x 2 x 0.0001/1.92

Area = 2.1mm2

This means any copper cable of cross-sectional area of 2.1mm2 can be used for

wiring between the PV array and Charge controller.

b. Cable Sizing between Charge Controller and Battery

Any copper cable of cross-sectional area 35.2 mm2 can be used for wiring

between the charge controller and battery

c. Cable Size between Battery Bank and Inverter

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 Any copper cable of cross-sectional area of 71.83 mm2

d. Cable Sizing between Inverter and Load

Any copper cable of cross-sectional area of 6.58 mm2 can be used for the wiring

between the inverter and load

COST ESTIMATION OF A PV SYSTEM

(a) Cost of arrays = No. of PV modules × Cost/Module

= 22 × 100,000.00 (for a 300 Wp panel) = N2,200,000.00

(b) Cost of batteries = No. of Batteries × Cost/Module

=28 × 191,000.00= N5,348,000.00

(c) Cost of Inverter = No. of inverters × Cost/Inverter = 1 × 673,000.00

= 1 × 680,000.00 =N673,000.00

(d) Cost of 48V, 120 Amps Charge Controller = 1 x 200,000.00

Total cost of system = A + B + C = 2200000 + 5348000 + 673000 + 200,000.00=

N8,421,000.00

[Additional cost of wiring may be taken as 5% of total system cost] = N421,050.00

Overall Cost of Solar System = 8,842,050.00

ASSUMPTIONS TAKEN FOR DESIGN

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  Inverter converts DC into AC power with efficiency of about 90%.

 Battery voltage used for operation = 12 volts

 Inverter Rating to be used is 5KVA

 The combined efficiency of inverter and battery will be calculated as:

combined efficiency = inverter efficiency × battery efficiency = 0.9 × 0.7 = 0.63 = 63%

 Sunlight available in a day = 6 hours/day (equivalent of peak radiation).

 Operation of lights and fan = 6 hours/day of PV panels.

 PV panel power rating = 300 Wp (Wp, meaning, watt (peak), gives only peak power

output of a PV panel)

Compiled by: Sayi Shalom Tisan

Scientific Officer II

(TS)