SOLAR SYSTEM DESIGN

LECTURE 3
CET
GROUP BASED COMPLEX ENGINEERING PROBLEM 10 Marks
(05 Marks report, 05 Marks for Presentation ,
Submission one week before midterm
Design an On-Grid wSolar Power System for Mechanical Lab. By using
Helioscope Software.
The report must not Exceed 10 pages and must include the following
1. Executive Summary
2. Full Specifications of the system including quantity, make (manufacturer)
and model number of the solar modules and inverter.
3. An estimate of the yearly energy output of the system. This should be
based on the available solar irradiation for the tilt angle and orientation of
the array.
4. The Rupee savings this represents based on existing electrical energy
pricing / payback period
5. Costing of all Equipment, Installation, Maintenance and other regulatories
6. the savings in CO2 / reduction in Carbon Footprints.
7. Helioscope report and Sketches
•
Major system components
Solar PV system includes different components that should be
selected according to your system type, site location and applications.
The major components for solar PV system are solar charge
controller, inverter, battery bank, auxiliary energy sources and loads
(appliances).
  PV module � converts sunlight into DC electricity.
 Solar charge controller � regulates the voltage and current coming
from the PV panels going to battery and prevents battery
overcharging and prolongs the battery life.
  Inverter � converts DC output of PV panels or wind turbine into a
clean AC current for AC appliances or fed back into grid line.
  Battery � stores energy for supplying to electrical appliances when
there is a demand.
  Load � is electrical appliances that connected to solar PV system
such as lights, radio, TV, computer,      refrigerator, etc.
 TYPES OF SOLAR SYSTEMS
• On-grid - also known as a grid-tie or grid-feed
solar system.
• Off-grid - also known as a stand-alone power
system (SAPS)
• Hybrid - grid-connected solar system with
battery storage.
 Electrical Grid:
• It is an electrical power network interconnecting the
load centers and energy providers.
• It is one of major parts of electrical power system
network acting as interface between power
generation plant, power transmission line, and
distribution lines.
• It transmits electric power that is generated using
any source (renewable or non-renewable) at a any
place and distributes finally to the consumers as per
the requirement
https://www.researchgate.net/
publication/323192760_On-
Grid_Solar_Photovoltaic_System_Compone
nts_Design_Considerations_and_Case_Stu
 Grid-tied solar system components

• Solar Panels.
• DC Combiner Box.
• Inverters.
• AC Combiner Box. (Depends upon inverter
type)
• Interface Protection Device.
• Meters.
• Point of Connection (POC) AC Breaker.
Back-up generator for off-grid solar system
• Off-grid solar system components
• Solar Panels.
• DC Combiner Box.
• Solar Charge Controllers.
• DC Fuse Box.
• Batteries.
• Inverters.
• AC Breakers.
• Meters (Optional).
• Back-up Generators (Optional).
 Where can we use an off-grid solar system?

• Army camps.
• Remote rural areas.
• Farms in remote areas.
• Mining areas.
• Communications towers.
• Street lighting.
Hybrid Solar Power System
VIDEO Surplus power
Your home is using more power than your
solar system is generating
Main components of On-Grid
Solar System
 Photovolatic Modules:
Discussed Later in presentation
 Junction Box:
Used majorly in two different places in PV
systems i.e.
1- at the interconnection to power converter.
Here all the PV strings are joined together.
2 at solar PV enclosure, here , it comprises of
bypass diodes thereby allowing the power flow
only in one direction i.e. from solar panel to the
utility system.
Junction Box:
 On-Grid Inverter:
• On-grid inverter is the one which converts the
DC power to AC power.
• Inter connect with the present day power sector.
• various type of inverter available in the market
whose rating is from small kVA to larger kVA.

• The present available inverter are coming with

MPPT enabled and wider input Vdc range.
 AC disconnect & Main Panel:
• In photovoltaic systems DC and AC disconnect are the
two boxes where AC disconnect role is to separate the on-
grid power converter i.e. DC-AC inverter from the
electrical utility grid. Output currents of the inverters have
to be taken into consideration while sizing the AC
disconnect and it simply be circuit breaker. This is
generally placed in Main panel.
Main panel comes into picture before the electrical system
can be integrated to electrical power grid. This generally
consists of electro mechanical devices that are used to
disconnect the photovoltaic system from the electric grid
 Net Meter:
Net meter is a device that is used to monitor
the inflow and outflow of electricity between
the electrical power generating system to
electric utility grid. In photovoltaic systems if
excess energy is generated then that can be
sold to the utility by means of this.
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
For Site selection it includes the appropriate solar radiation data
assessment, and other factors like shading, snow, wind, seasonal
influences.
When comes to the PV module or array mounting, this would be the
optimal tilt angle, azimuth angle.
Arranging the PV array as per the technical specification of the
inverter input side one of the major design consideration.
Identifying the suitable DC and AC cables and their rating as per the
PV system parameters.
Junction box sizing also plays vital role.
Efficiency of each component must be considered during the design
process to estimate the feasible energy yields.
Make sure that, there should not be any stability and reliability issues
during the operation of PV system
Solar Terms: Solar Cell, Module,
Panel, Array & System
Solar Terms: Balance of System
• The balance of system or BOS encompasses
all components of a photovoltaic
system other than the photovoltaic panels. 

• Wiring
• Disconnect Switches
• Mounting System
• Inverter
• Solar Generation
Meter
PV MODULE
Terminology
 Solar Technology: PV Components
Cell

Panel / Module PV Array

 PV Panels and Array
• The size of PV array is derived from the available
area, the amount of solar radiation and the load
profile.
• The peak load value for each panel can be decided
keeping in mind the area and the output voltage
required.
• The PV size adjustment ensures that the variation in
load demand in a year is well catered for. The
manufacturer can then be selected based on the
peak load and the minimum voltage .
I/V characteristics at different Irradiance level
 AC ENERGY OUTPUT OF PV ARRAY

• The AC energy output of a solar array is the electrical AC energy

delivered to the grid at the point of connection of the grid connect
inverter to the grid. The output of the solar array is affected by:
• •Average solar radiation data for selected tilt angle and
orientation;
• •Manufacturing tolerance of modules;
• •Temperature effects on the modules;
• •Effects of dirt on the modules;
• •System losses (eg power loss in cable); and
• •Inverter efficiency
Solar Radiation Sample
 DERATING MODULES OUTPUT

• 1. Derating due to Manufacturers Output

Tolerance
• 2. Derating due to dirt
• 3. Derating due to Temperature
 DERATING MODULES
• The output of a PV module is specified in watts and
with a manufacturing tolerance based on a cell
temperature of 25 degrees C.
• •Historically 5%
• •recent years typical figures have been 3%
• •System design must incorporate this tolerance. As a
worked example, assuming the tolerance is 5% the
“worst case” , adjusted output of a 160W PV module
is therefore around 152W (0.95 x 160W), or 5% loss
from the rated 160W
 DC ENERGY OUTPUT FROM ARRAY

• The actual DC energy from the solar array

• = the derated output power of the module
• x number of modules
• x irradiation for the tilt and azimuth angle of
the array.
Costly brands with more efficiency
• SunPower now Maxeon
• LG.
• Panasonic, and others.
 most powerful panel
• most powerful panel being the Jumbo 800W
panel from JA solar. However, this panel is
incredibly large at 2.2m long and 1.75m wide.
 Key Characteristics of PV Module
• Number of cells determines the output voltage
• Voc = the open circuit voltage which is the voltage across the
terminals with no load attached •Varies little with the amount
of sun but falls as cell temperature goes up 0.5V to 0.6V per
cell
• Isc = Short circuit current which is the Amperes measured
directly across the terminals with no load attached •Varies
directly with the amount of sun
• Impp= Current delivered at the maximum power conditions
under standard test conditions (STC)
• Vmpp= Voltage delivered at the maximum power conditions
under standard test conditions
• Note that Impp x Vmpp = Wp
 Solar Level Affects Mainly Amperes
• Effect of changes in insolation on panel
current and voltage , x- axis is Voltage, y-axis is
Current
INVERTER
 Inverter
• The PV arrays produce direct current (DC) at a
voltage, which depends on the specific design
and the solar radiation.
• The DC power then runs to an inverter, which
converts it into standard AC voltage.
• Inverters commonly used in large scale
applications are central inverters that offer
easy installation and high efficiency.
 TYPES OF INVERTER
• ON GRID/ GRID TIED INVERTER
• OFFF GRID INVERTER
• HYBRID INVERTER
• MICRO INVERTER
 Grid-connected PV systems’ inverter

• grid-connected PV systems, the inverter power

sizing is a very delicate problem, Hence, while
sizing the grid-connected PV system's inverter, two
main conditions are considered :
• OVERLOAD BEHAVIOR:,

• LOSS EVALUATION:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/
engineering/grid-connected-photovoltaic-
systems
 String, Central and Microinverter
• A string inverter is connected to a series or “string” of solar
panels and converts the power from Direct Current (DC) in to
Alternate Current (AC) electricity,
• This is the most common type of inverter used in residential and
small / medium commercial systems
• A central inverter  It is like large string inverter designed to
handle more power and offer efficiencies / economies of scale.
Central inverters are not used for residential solar systems 
• In a micro inverter system, each panel has its own micro-inverter
attached to the rear side of the panel. The panel still produces DC,
but is converted to AC on the roof and is fed straight to the
electrical switchboard
 Micro inverters
• Micro inverters are a great alternative to the
common 'string' solar inverter and are used in
over half of all solar installations in North
America. Micro inverters, also known as micros,
have several advantages over string solar
inverters but a marginally higher upfront cost..
• Enphase Energy founded in 2006 has long been
regarded as the world leading micro inverter
manufacturer.
 advantages when using micro Inverters:

• No single point of failure

• This means that unlike with string inverter
systems, if one panel or micro inverter has a
serious fault the rest of the system is unaffected
and it doesn't result in complete loss of
generation.
• Not limited by string voltages
• Easily expanded with different or newer panels
micro Inverter
 Build for Environment
IP Rating
 IP Rating (ingress protection) ((ingress = entrance,
something coming in) )
– An international classification system which indicates the
degree of protection within an enclosure against the
intrusion of foreign bodies, dust & Moisture
– The system uses the letters ‘IP’ followed by two
numbers/digits

 Note: IP protection does not specify

effectiveness against condensation, mechanical
damage, atmospheric vapours, explosive
environments, or vermin.
 IP
RATINGS
FIRST DIGIT - MECHANICAL PROTECTION AIR INLET & OUTLET

IP 1 – Anything LARGER than 50mm diameter cannot touch anything

MOVING OR LIVE inside .

IP 2 – Anything LARGER than 12mm etc….

IP 3 – Anything LARGER than 5mm
IP 4 – Anything LARGER than 1mm
IP 5 – No harmful deposits of DUST
PARTICLES
IP 6 – TOTALLY ENCLOSED
 IP
RATINGS
SECOND DIGIT - WATER INGRESS
IP #1 - Vertically falling water droplets will not cause a problem if they enter the
machine
IP #2 - Water drops falling at up to 150 from vertical etc…..
IP #3 - Water drops falling at up to 600 from vertical, (protected from the
RAIN).
IP #4 – Water sprayed from any direction - limited ingress permitted.
IP #5 – Low pressure water JETS from a nozzle in any
direction.
IP #6 – High pressure water JETS or HEAVY SEAS.
THD total harmonic distortion
Republic of Fiji - November 22-

4. Measures for power quality

An inflow of harmonic current into power systems may cause a harmonic
strain on the voltage waveform of power systems, damaging electric facilities as a
result.
26, 2010

Fundamental harmonic 5th-order harmonic Distorted wave

Voltage
e8/PPA Grid Connected Solar PV

Time
<Examples of harmonic source>
Representative example is equipment using transistor, diode.
Workshop

- OA ▪ Appliance ▪▪ ▪ TV, PC, printer

- Air-conditioner ▪▪ ▪ Inverter air-conditioner
- Lighting equipment ▪▪ ▪ fluorescent lamp, sodium (Na) lamp, mercury (Hg) lamp
- Inverter ▪▪ ▪ elevator, fan, pump, inverter for generator

- Uninterruptible power source ▪ ▪ ▪ UPS

PV module has optimum operating voltage. If you don’t control PV voltage,
PV system efficiency becomes very low.
 What is MPPT control (Maximum Power Point Tracker)

MTTP control function detect ΔP / ΔV, and control voltage to

direction that ΔP / ΔV becomes plus. Finally PV voltage reach
optimum operating voltage.
 Functioning Principle Of An MPPT Solar
Charge Controller
• The is rather simple - due to the varying degree of sunlight
(irradiance) landing on a solar panel throughout the day, the
panel voltage and current continuously changes.
• In order to generate the most power, the maximum power point
tracker sweeps through the panel voltage to find the ‘sweet spot’
or the best combination of voltage and current to produce the
maximum power.
• The MPPT is designed to continually track and adjust the voltage
to generate the most power no matter what time of day or
weather conditions.
• Using this clever technology, the solar panel efficiency increases.
DESIGN PROCESS
 Check list on planning

• Concept and purpose –For what Purpose? it should be shared

among concerned parties.

• –Where : Is existing facility or not? Exact location.

• –What load? Characteristics and size of load. Enough space for

installed equipment?

• –Which system? Isolated or grid-connected? With battery or not?

• –When and how much? Construction schedule and cost.

 Check list on planning

• Site survey –Ambient environment Any obstacles to receive

sunlight? Shadow of building, tree, mountain, stack, utility pole, steel tower, sign
board and so on.
• Effect of fallen leaves and sand dust, snow cover (depth and frequency)

• Salt and/or lightning damage, wind condition – collect all the possible
obstacles

• – Installed site Shape, width, direction, drainage, condition of

foundation, volume of construction work, carry-in route, Waterproof of
the building, effect on landscape

• –Electrical facility Existing diagram and plot plan, space availability,

wiring route and space carry-in route
 SITE VISIT

. Determine the solar access for the site.

•Determine whether any shading will occur and estimate its effect on the
system.
•Determine the orientation and tilt angle of the roof if the solar array is to
be roof mounted.
•Determine the available area for the solar array.
•Determine whether the roof is suitable for mounting the array.
•Determine how the modules will be mounted on the roof.
•Determine where the inverter will be located.
•Determine the cabling route and therefore estimate the lengths of the
cable runs.
•Determine whether monitoring panels or screens are required and
determine a suitable location with the owner
 QUOTATION DOCUMENTATION
When providing a quotation to a potential customer, the certified
designer should provide (as a minimum) the following information:
• Full Specifications of the system including quantity, make
(manufacturer) and model number of the solar modules and inverter.
• An estimate of the yearly energy output of the system. This should be
based on the available solar irradiation for the tilt angle and orientation
of the array. If the array will be shaded at any time the effect of the
shadows must be taken into account when determining the yearly
energy output.
• The dollar/Rupee savings this represents based on existing electrical
energy pricing
• A firm quotation which includes all equipment and installation
charges
• Warranty information relating to each of the items of equipment
the savings in CO2 (either tonnes or kg) is also be provided.
• SYSTEM DESIGN GUIDELINES
• For a specified peak power rating (kWp) for a
solar array a designer can determine the
systems energy output over the whole year.
The system energy output over a whole year is
known as the systems “Energy Yield”
 Actual Panel Output
• •Solar energy is almost never is great enough to provide
1000 W/m2 of solar radiation. Typically 800-900 W/m2 is
the highest seen on clear days at noon.
• •In the tropics, solar cells are 50C to over 60C. Higher cell
temperatures result in lowered output of 10% to 15%
over rated values
• •Panels rarely face directly toward the sun, surface
reflections increase and output decreases as a result
• •There is often a mismatch between the load and the
panel resulting in a few percent reduction from the rated
value.
Typical system losses for a residential project
 Solar Panel Power Rating
• Panels are rated in Watts Peak (Wp).
• This is the maximum number of Watts power that the panel
should produce if: –it is exposed to 1000 W/m2 of sunlight
• –The sunlight is coming straight onto the panel
• –The panel is clean
• –There is a cell temperature of 25°C
• –The sunlight passes through an air mass of 1.5 (about a
45° angle above the horizon)
• – Power from the panel is delivered to the load at the
maximum power point of the panel (the optimum loading)
 INVERTER SELECTION

• The selection of the inverter for the installation

will depend on:
• •The energy output of the array
• •The matching of the allowable inverter string
configurations with the size of the array in kW and
the size of the individual modules within that array
• •Whether the system will have one central
inverter or multiple (smaller) inverters
• How to Calculate Your Peak Sun-Hours
•  
• The easiest way is visit NASA’s website 
http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/sse/retscr
een.cgi?email=rets@nrcan.gc.ca
• Then input Latitude and Longitude data of
your location (Figure 1), click “Submit” button
to get result.
 peak sun-hours
• note that “peak sun-hours” are not the same
as “hours of daylight.” Peak sun-hours refers
specifically to how much solar energy is
available in an area during a typical day. A
peak sun-hour, specifically, is an hour during
which the intensity of sunlight is 1,000 watts
per square meter.
 Connecting Panels
• Connecting panels in series (+ terminal of one panel
connected to – terminal of the next) results in adding the
voltage of the series connected panels •Easy with plug and
cable type connections, The positive connector and the
negative connector mate

• •Connecting panels in parallel (+ terminal of one panel

connected to + terminal of the other and – terminal of one
panel connected to – terminal of the other) results in adding
the amperes produced by each panel. •Requires a junction
box since cable plugs/sockets do not mate
 Increasing Array Voltage
• Panels can be connected in series to increase
output voltage. A series connection will work well
only if the panels have the same ampere rating.
 Voltage Rating of Panels

• Output voltage is determined by the number of cells

connected in series on the panel and cell temperature.
–To match voltages for panels, the two panels should
have the same number of cells. Both panels should
have the same voltage of about 0.5V-0.6V per cell

• Also rated according to the maximum voltage allowed

between the cells and the frame –Typically 600V
though some panels can handle over 1000 V
 Ampere Rating of Panels

• Ampere rating depends on the type and size of

the cells. –
• –The surface area of the cell determines the
amperes for any given type of cell

• •To match panels for Amperes if the Isc rating is

not known, choose panels with the same size and
type of cells.
 Increasing Array Current
To increase the amperes available, connect panels in
parallel. As long as the two panels have the same voltage
(the same number of cells) it will work ok
 Design: Orientation FOR FIXED PANELS

Average loss in N
energy produced

W 75% 75% E

90
%
90

%
100%

S
 Design: Shading

10% shading of an
array can lead to a 50%
decline in efficiency

Source: Renewable Energy World

 JINKO TR 72M
Positive power tolerance of 0~+3%
PV MODULE
 open-circuit voltage, VOC
• The open-circuit voltage, VOC, is the maximum
voltage available from a solar cell, and this
occurs at zero current.
 Short-Circuit Current
• The short-circuit current is the current through
the solar cell when the voltage across the
solar cell is zero (i.e., when the solar cell is
short circuited). Usually written as ISC.
 the Normal Operating Cell Temperature
(NOCT)
The NOCT is the cell temperature in module lighting by
the insolation of 0.8kW/m² at ambient temperature of
20°C and wind speed of 1m/s.
• The NOCT value is given by manufacturers of solar
cells . The temperature of the PV module at different
conditions is determined using the expression below:
• Tc Cell temperature (°C)
• Ta Ambient temperature (°C)
• G Solar insolation (kW/m²)
CHINT INVERTER
CHINT INVERTER
 THREE PHASE SYSTEM

BASICS
Line voltage VL= voltage between lines

Phase voltage Vph= voltage between a line and

neutral
 THREE PHASE SYSTEM

BALANCED STAR
Line Voltage,

VL=√3Vph
Line current, IL = Iph
 THREE PHASE SYSTEM

BALANCED DELTA
Line Voltage VL= Vph
Line current IL = √3 Iph
 Difference between Star and Delta Starters
for motors
• The speed of the star-connected motors is
slow as they receive 1/√3 of the voltage but
the speed of the delta connected motors is
high because each phase gets the total of the
line voltage.
• Star/Delta working is old hat, these days VFD
drives are used to start motors and run them
at what ever power, speed is required
 Power Factor
• kVA: apparent power
• kVA is a measure of apparent power: it tells you the total amount of power in use in a
system. In a 100% efficient system kW = kVA. However electrical systems are never 100%
efficient and therefore not all of the systems apparent power is being used for useful work
output.
• kW: actual power
• kW is the amount of power that is converted into a useful output. kW is therefore known
as actual power or working power.
• Power Factor: a measure of electrical efficiency
• You can convert between kVA and kW if you know the efficiency of the electrical system.
Electrical efficiency is expressed as a power factor between 0 and 1: the closer the power
factor is to 1, the more efficiently the kVA is being converted into useful kW. Generators
have a power factor of 0.8.
• The formula for converting kVA into kW is:
• Apparent power (kVA) x power factor (pf) = actual power (kW)
• e.g. 100 kVA x 0.8 = 80 kW

https://powerelectrics.com/blog/the-
difference-between-kw-and-kva
 String Sizing
• Why Does String Sizing Matter?

• Inverters operate within a specific input voltage range, called

the operating range. Your panel strings must output a voltage
that falls within that range.

• If the panels don’t supply enough voltage, the inverter won’t

have enough power to turn on.

• If too much voltage is supplied, you can damage your inverter

and void the warranty.
 Minimum Voltage of Inverter

• When the temperature is at a maximum then

the Maximum Power Point (MPP) voltage
(Vmp) of the array should never fall below the
minimum operating voltage of the inverter.
• •It is recommended that maximum effective
cell temperature of e.g., 70°C is used.
STRUCTURE AND INSTALLATION
 Choose the appropriate mounting bracket

• aluminum bracket (sea side karachi), C-shaped

or I-shaped steel bracket
• roof area utilization,
• the inclination angle of the solar panel should
be minimized as much as possible to reduce
the wind receiving surface
Wind Damage
 AIR GAP BETWEEN SOLAR PANELS
• For a solar panel to be cool, solar panel must have air
gap between solar panel and rooftop to allow air
circulation. This air gap is critical to
• 1) allow radiant heat transfer from the hot solar panel
directly to the rooftop
• 2) to allow convective heat transfer when wind
blowing through the panel and
• 3) and to add additional surface area for radiative heat
transfer from solar panel to all around including lower
and top part of solar panel
• most manufacturers recommend a gap of four
inches between the panels and the roof itself.
•
Reducing the wind loading of photovoltaic
structures is crucial for their structural
stability.
Wind loads
Lux lugs
 Solar System Costs
Hardware Costs
• Solar Panels
• Balance of System

Total
System
• Financing
Soft Costs Cost
• Permitting
• Customer Acquisition
• Installation
• Maintenance
SOLAR SYSTEM DESIGN
SOFTWARES
 More than 10 softwares
Most Popular among them
• Helioscope
• PVSyst
• PV*Sol
Sketch made by Helioscope
 VIDEO OF ROOF SOLAR PANELS
• Folder solar system design
 Helioscope Solar Simulation Software

• Helioscope solar simulation software is a web-based tool developed by

Folsom Labs,
• The user can easily choose from location’s address, select the roof area for
the array, specify the type of PV modules, inverter and combiner box
positioning details.
• Helioscope uses Google Earth to find the location of the site, which allows the
user to produce a 3D model based on the site characteristics . It also has
capabilities of conducting shading studies of the site based on the generated
3D model
• . Helioscope is also a beneficial software to use, as it has the capability of
directly exporting the 3D models generated to 3D modelling software
packages such as SketchUp for further analysis such as shadow analysis or
incorporating location terrains for geotechnical analysis.
 advantages of HelioScope
• The Folsom Labs did a great job in developing HelioScope. Here are
some of the advantages of using this solar PV design tool for your
projects.
• Easy to Use
• Google Maps Compatible
• Unlimited Designs
• Quick and Easy Re-Designs
• Fast Energy Simulation
• Quick Reports Production
• Huge Library of Solar Components
• Great Tool for Shading Analysis
• 30-day Free Trial
 Disadvantages of HelioScope
• Although this tool has so many great features, we
still need to present the other side of the coin. Here
is the list of the disadvantages HelioScope has.
• No battery or energy storage simulation
• Off-grid System Design is Not Yet Included
• Yearly or Monthly Subscription Fees are Quite
Expensive ($950/year or $95/month)
• Design limits to 5 Mega-Watts of solar PV systems
only
 Video on helioscope software
• 5 minute commercial solar design
 PV*Sol Premium
• Features of PV*Sol Premium
• On Grid PV System Design
• Off Grid PV System Design
• 3D Mode
• Shading Calculation
• Extruding Buildings from Maps
• Import 3D Objects
• Solar Energy Yield Simulation
• Financial Analysis
• AC and DC Cable Sizing
• Electric Cars
• etc.
 PVsyst Solar Simulation Software
• The software was developed in Switzerland
• It is a Windows based software
• The software has the functionality to simulate grid
connected, stand-alone, and DC-grid PV systems, it
also has an extensive Meteonorm satellite
database, PV System components databases, as
well as general solar energy tools.
Comparision of Helioscope and PVSyst
• Mppt explained
• https://
www.cleanenergyreviews.info/blog/mppt-solar-charge-control
lers
• On Grid Solar Design Steps
• http://slideplayer.com/slide/15524679/
• SAIMA
• Figure 1: Typical system losses for a residential project
• Grid-connected photovoltaic module and array sizing based on
an iterative approach F. Q. Alenezi* , J. K. Sykulski, M. Rotarua
Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton,
UK
 Design Methodology OF GRID-CONNECTED
PV SYSTEM

•  Undertaking site survey

• Solar access to the site
• Sizing of the System
• Selecting and matching the individual components
• Installation
STANDARDS for DESIGN Australia and New Zealand

• AS/NZ 3000 Wiring Rules

• AS 3008 Selection of Cables
• AS /NZS4777 Grid Connection of energy systems by
inverters
• AS/NZS 5033 Installation of PV Arrays
• AS 4509 Stand-alone power systems (note some aspects of
these standards are relevant to grid connect systems)
• AS 3595 Energy management programs
• AS 1768 Lightning Protection
 the relevant codes and standards USA

• In USA the relevant codes and standards include:

• •Electrical Codes-National Electrical Code Article 690: Solar
Photovoltaic Systems and NFPA 70
• •Uniform Solar Energy Code
• •Building Codes- ICC, ASCE 7
• •UL Standard 1701; Flat Plat Photovoltaic Modules and Panels
• •IEEE 1547, Standards for Interconnecting distributed Resources
with Electric Power Systems
• •UL Standard 1741, Standard for Inverter, converters, Controllers
and Interconnection System Equipment for use with Distributed
Energy Resources
 Recommended Videos
• Earthing
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=GQMgMZn3WBU
 Useful Links
• Pricing
• https://solartrade.pk/about-us/
• Sizing of String
• https://unboundsolar.com/blog/string-sizing-guide
• A Typical panel manual
• https://www.jasolar.com//uploadfile/2019/0129/20190129030900765.pdf
• JINKO SOLAR PANEL MANUAL
• https://www.renova-energia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/MD150.pdf
• Inverter Manual
• https://www.inverter.com/doc/3-phase-grid-tie-inverter-user-manual.pdf
• Star delta connections
• https://www.electrical4u.com/star-delta-starter/
 Useful Links
• PV Education
• https://www.pveducation.org/
• Design calculations of on grid solar system
• https://
extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.
edu/files/pubs/az1782-2019.pdf
• Design methodology of on grid solar system
• http://slideplayer.com/slide/15524679/
 String Sizing
• How To Calculate String Size

• String sizing calculations depend on the specific voltage of your panels and inverter, as well as
outside factors like temperature.

• Each panel has an output voltage. This is the voltage the panel sends to the inverter.

• Open circuit voltage (Voc): The voltage supplied when the circuit is open—that is, when
current isn’t passing through the circuit. This state occurs when the inverter isn’t powered on.

• Max Power voltage (Vmp): The voltage of the panel after it is turned on and operating
normally under load (current is flowing through the circuit).

• Find these numbers on the panel spec sheet. It’s different for every panel.

• On the inverter spec sheet, look for the rated MPP voltage range. This is for ideal operation
 String Sizing
• Also take note of the max DC input voltage. We’re
especially concerned about this, because if you exceed the
max operating voltage, you’ll overload the inverter and
potentially fry the equipment. Going over the max
operating voltage will void the warranty on your inverter.

• There is also a minimum DC voltage and a startup voltage

requirement that needs to be met in order to turn on the
inverter. Typically this won’t be an issue, since we want
our strings to operate well above the minimum, up in the
MPP range where it works at higher efficiency.
 String Sizing
• Step 1: Find your minimum string size
 take the low end of the MPP range and divide by the
Vmp of the panel
• Step 2: Find maximum string size that doesn’t exceed
operating voltage
For maximum string size, we want to make sure we don’t
overload the inverter.
MAXIMUM STRING SIZE
• For this calculation, take the max DC input and divide
by the Voc of the panel
 String Sizing
• Step 3: Check that max string size falls within MPP range
(IS MAX STRING SIZE GIVING OPTIMUM POWER)
• take the max string size calculated in step 2 and multiply
by the Vmp of the panel

check that this falls under the top end of the MPP range,
i.e., below Max MPP Voltage then it is OK.
If we had arrived at a number above the MPP range in this
step, we would reduce the max string size by 1 and
recalculate until we successfully fall within the MPP range.
 String Sizing (Temperature)
• Step 4: Account for temperature in your
location
• We use the coldest day on record to account
for the worst-case scenario in our string sizing
calculations
 String Sizing
• The temperature coefficient on these panels is
0.280%/°C. This means that for each degree
Celsius away from the NOCT, the panel will
produce .28% more voltage.

multiply the Voc of the panel by the temperature

coefficient of Voc (.28%). Since the temperature
coefficient is a percentage, move the decimal 2
places to the left to account for this in the equation:
 String Sizing
• This gives the voltage change per degree
Celsius, so we need to multiply by the
temperature difference (between NCOT and
minimum temperature of solar panel)
• We need to add the resultant voltage change
and voltage at NCOT together to get the true
panel voltage on a record cold day:
 String Sizing
• From here, multiply the true panel voltage by the max
number of panels in the string we calculated in step 2:

• If the total voltage of the array can peak on a record cold

day is well above the max operating voltage of , then it
means cold temps can push your array into territory that
will cause damage to your inverter.

• That’s obviously not ideal ( you could fry your system?), so

we need to make adjustments to max string size to bring
this down to an acceptable level.
 String Sizing
• You want to start subtracting panels off the string
until you fall within the operating range. Take the
array voltage and subtract the true panel voltage
• Not good enough: If it’s still above the limit. We
need to subtract one more panel:

• We’re under the max input threshold after

accounting for the temperature extremes the
array could reasonably be exposed to.
 String Sizing
• Any larger has the potential to permanently damage your
array in extreme temperatures.

• “This accounts for cold temperatures…what about

excessively hot temperatures above the NOCT?”

• Regardless, warm temps aren’t as much of a concern

because they decrease voltage. Again, our primary
concern is staying below the max input voltage so we
don’t damage the inverter. Voltage drop due to warm
temps just brings us further under the “danger zone.”
 String Sizing

• Extreme heat will affect minimum string size, though, and you may
want to check that your minimum string size still falls within the MPP
range for optimal efficiency. To do that, you follow the same
calculations as above, but you need to use different values:

• Use the panel Vmp in place of Voc.

• Use the panel Temperature Coefficient of Pmax in place
of Temperature Coefficient of Voc.
• When it comes to calculating the true voltage of the panel, subtract the
voltage compensation from the panel Vmp (instead of adding it to the
panel Voc).
 String Sizing
• There is also a minimum DC voltage and a
startup voltage requirement that needs to be
met in order to turn on the inverter. Typically
this won’t be an issue, since we want our
strings to operate well above the minimum,
up in the MPP range where it works at higher
efficiency.