Solar Photovoltaic Technologies

Lecture-19
Solar PV System and PV System Design

Prof. C.S. Solanki

Department of Energy Science and Engineering
IIT Bombay
 Contents- Solar PV System Design
Types of PV system
- DC, AC, Hybrid

Energy flow in a PV system

Design of a PV system
- Load, battery sizing, PV panel sizing

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PV Systems
and Design
 Types of PV Systems
Directly connected systems  Simplest possible PV systems
 Example: A DC fan, water pumping
system etc.
PV DC
Panel Load

Battery used vary widely as a

Systems with battery storage storage medium
Battery regulated voltage,
PV Charge DC suppresses transients, can provide
Panel Controller Load higher current than PV array capability
 Charge controller is required to
protect overcharging or over-
Battery discharging of battery

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 Types of PV Systems
Systems with both AC and DC loads
• Inverter is required to convert DC into
DC-AC AC
AC current
converter Load
• Inverter efficiency is in the range of
90-95%
PV Charge DC
Panel Controller Load

Battery Systems connected with grid / generator

Utility DC-AC AC
•Back-up or additional energy source can grid converter Load
be used with in a PV system,
PV Charge DC
•A back-up can be a DG set Controller Load
Panel
•PV System can also take of give power
to utility
Generator Battery

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 Which PV system configuration?
The choice of the system configuration mainly depends
on the following parameters:
load requirements
resource availability
performance of the system
reliability of the system, and
cost of the system

PV System Design
- Approximate design
- Precise design
 Design of PV powered Fan
Unregulated performance
PV Non-optimum performance
module Day time operation
DC fan

Design is trivial
Load power should match
with PV power

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 Energy flow in PV systems
 Battery is considered in the design for non-sunshine hour load operation

Electronic control
circuit Load
PV (MPPT, Charge
module (AC /DC)
controller, DC to AC
converter)

Energy storage
(Typically batteries)

 For designing a PV systems, each component in the path of energy flow should
be considered
 Consideration for specifications, efficiency, rating, autonomy, etc.

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 PV system sizing
• System sizing to determine the size of array for a given requirement

Steps of PV system sizing:

 Step 1: Determine daily/weekly/seasonal load
AC load, DC load, inverter size, inverter efficiency, total load

 Step 2: Determine the battery bank size

Battery choice, battery efficiency, no. of batteries, battery
configuration, charge controller

 Step 3: Determining PV array size

Selecting array, maximum current and voltage, battery
efficiency, number of modules, module configuration,
geographic location

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 System load worksheet: AC load
Step -1: Determine daily Amp-hr load  both AC and DC
1-b: Calculate AC loads

Name Watts Hr/dayWatt-Hr

50 8 400
Panel Inverter load
70 8 560 Efficiency (90-95%)
200 2 400
0 0 0 Correction for the inverter
Total Watt-hr/day 1360 loss, factor of 1.1 to 1.15 =

Watt-Hr/day Correction factor Watt-Hr/day (Corr.)

1360 1.1 1496

DC Systems voltage, usually 12V or 24 V

Therefore, daily Amp-Hr AC load =

Watt-Hr/day System voltage Amp-Hr/day

1496 24 62.3333333
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 System load worksheet : DC load
Step -1: Determine daily Amp-hr load  both AC and DC

1-a: Calculate DC loads Note: You may need to calculate

the monthly or seasonal loads in
Name Watts Hr/day Watt-Hr case of large variation
1 1 1
0 0 0
0 0 0
Total daily Amp-Hr
0 0 0
load
Total Watt-hr/day 1
DC Amp-Hr/day 0
AC Amp-Hr/day 0
DC Systems voltage, usually 12V or 24 V
Total Amp-Hr/day 0
Therefore, daily Amp-Hr DC load =

Watt-Hr/day System voltage Amp-Hr/day

1 1 1

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 Battery sizing worksheet
1. Total Amp-Hr load per day required from solar array 1
2. Maximum number of continuous days of cloudy weather 1
3. Total Amp-Hr required including autonomy 1

4. Useful battery charge, upto 20% DoD, 80% useful 1

5. Effective (optimum) Amp-Hr required 1

6. Choose battery, 50Ah, 100Ah, 150Ah, 200Ah 1

7. Number of batteries required in parallal 1
8. Round-off to a higher number 1
9. Divide system voltage (24V) by battery voltage (12V) 2
(Number of batteries required in series)
10. Total number of batteries required (series x parallal) 2
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 Battery bank connections

Battery

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 Array sizing worksheet
1. Total Amp-Hr per day from the system loads worksheet 1
2. Accounting for battery loss during charge/discharge 1
3. Total Amp-Hr after battery loss 1

4. Average number of sun hours per day in your region 1

5. Total solar array Amp required, = #3/#4 1

6. Optimum or peak Amp of solar module used 1

7. Total number of solar modules required in parallel, 5/6 1
8. Round off to the next highest whole number 1

9. Number of modules in series sufficient for battery 2

Charging (Two for 24 volt system)
10 Total number of modules required, #8 x #9 2
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 Summary of PV Technologies
Technology Feature Current (Isc) Chart
Voltage (V oc) Fill Factor (FF Power (Pm)
(efficiency)
Typical value of 30 to 35 mA/cm2 0.5 to 0.6 V per 60 to 80 % 10 to 15
parameter cell mW/cm2
c-Si (>14%)
Change with +0.06% to +0.1% - 2.0 to -2.3 mV / -0.1 to -0.2% / - 0.4% to -0.5% /
temperature / oC o
C / cell o
C o
C
Typical value 16 to 18 mA/cm2 0.7 to 0.8 V per 64 to 68 % 9 to 10 mW/
cell cm2
CdTe ( >
Change with +0.04% / oC -0.25% / oC/cell 0.03 to 0.04 % / -0.25% / oC
9%)
temperature o
C
a-Si/µC-Si Typical value 9 to 10 mA/cm2 0.9 to 1.1 V per 61 to 63 % 8 to 10 mW/ cm2
(>9% eff.) cell
Change with +0.07% / oC -0.3% / oC/cell - 0.09 to 0.11 -0.25% / oC
temperature % / oC
Typical value 28 to 32 mA/ 0.45 to 0.5 V per 57 to 59 % 9 to 10 mW/cm2
cm2 Cell
CIGS (>
Change with +0.01% / oC -0.3% /oC/cell 0.04 to 0.05 % / -0.4% / oC
9%)
temperature o
C
a-Si/c-Si Typical value 34 to 38 mA/ cm2 0.65 to 0.70 V 78 to 80 % 18 to 20
per Cell mW/cm2
HIT cell
Change with +0.06% to +0.1% -1.8 mV / oC/cell -0.38% / oC
(>19%)
temperature / oC
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 PV module array

PV
Module

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 PV module power variation

maximum power factor ~ 0.4

to 0.5%/oC

Cell Temp Coefficient Module Temp Coefficient

Voc -2.15 mV/oC -0.072 V/oC
Isc +2.06 mA/oC ~-0.2 mA/oC
Vmp -2.18 mV/oC -0.071V/oC
Imp -4.3 mA/oC -3.25 mA/oC
Pmax -9.5 mW/oC -0.2 to 0.3 W/oC
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 Energy flow in PV systems
E4=1.22kWh E1=1kWh
Electronic control
circuit Load
PV (MPPT, Charge
module (AC /DC)
controller, DC to AC
converter)

E3=1.2kWh E2=1.02kWh
Energy storage
(Typically batteries)

Battery efficiency ~ 85%

Charge controller efficiency ~ 98%
No. of batteries? Size?
No. of panels? Size?

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 Design of Home Lighting System
Step-1: Find out total energy requirement of the system (total load)
Total connected load to PV panel system = No. of units*rating of equipments
= 2*18+2*60 = 156 watts
Total watt-hours rating =total connected load load (watts)* operating Hours
= 156*6 = 936 watt-hours
Step-2 : Find out the number of PV panels required
Actual power output of a PV panel = peak power rating*operating factor
= 40* 0.75 = 30 Watt
The power used at the end use is less (due to lower = Actual power output of a panel * combined efficiency
combined efficiency of the system) = 30 *0.81 = 24.3 watts (VA)
= 24.3 Watts
Energy produced by one 40Wp panel in a day = actual power output * 8 hours/day (peak equivalent)
Note: though the day length can be longer, we consider = 24.3*8 = 194.4 Watt-hour
light equivalent to number of peak hours (1000
W/m2) for which solar panel is characterized. For
exact value one need to look at meteorological
data for given location.
Number of solar panels required to satisfy given = total watt-hour rating (daily load) / daily energy produced
estimated daily load (from step-1) by a panel
Note: for system of voltage higher than 12 (lets say 24), = 936/194.4 = 4.81 ≈ 5 (round figure)
24/12=2, two module should be in series to provide
24 Volt (while total number of panels should be
same)

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Step-3 : Find out the battery requirement
Total Amp-hour required (total charge to be stored),
(Note: battery size should be higher than the actual
useful energy due to less combined efficiency of
the system)
Note: One can also decide to design a system with 24
Volt or 48 Volt. Since typically PV panels and
battery are designed to give 12 Volt, series-parallel
combination of panels and batteries will be required
to get higher PV systems voltages.
Number of batteries required
Step-4: Find out inverter size
Inverter rating (watts or VA)
Inverter are available with rating of 100, 200, 500 VA
etc.
Cost calculation
A) Cost of Arrays
B) Cost of Batteries
C) Cost of Inverter
Total Cost System
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= Total Amp-hour rating / (combined efficiency * battery
voltage)
= 936 / (0.72*12) =108.33
=Total Amp-hour rating / battery rating under use
=108.33/120 = 0.9 ≈ 1(round figure)
Total connected load to PV panel system = 156 watts =
156 VA
Therefore the choice of the inverter should be 200 VA
= No. of PV modules* Cost /module
= 5*8000 (for a 40 Wp panel @ Rs 200/Wp))
= Rs 40000/-
= No. of Batteries* Cost/battery
= 1*7500
= Rs 7500/-
= No. of inverters*Cost/inverter
= 1*5000
= Rs5000/
= A+ B+ C
= 40000+7500+5000
= Rs 52500/-
Solar Photovoltaic Technologies
 Design of PV irrigation system

MPPT
/inverter

Motor & pump Storage tank

PV module

Battery storage is not required, instead water storage can be used

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 Estimating total dynamic head

Elevation
Ground Water tank

Standing
water level

drawdown
Total dynamic head (TDH) =
Total vertical lift + frictional
Well losses (typically 5%)

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Design of Water Pumping System

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 Cost Analysis

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 Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Life cycle cost analysis is useful to compare different energy systems
It takes initial cost, recurring cost and replacement cost in account

ITEMS Photovoltaic Diesel

Initial Cost PV Array, Battery, Genset

DC/AC Converters,
Installation
O&M Taxes, Insurance, Daily diesel
Maintenance, Recurring requirements, oil & filter
Costs change,
decarbonisation, engine
overhaul
Non-recurring Battery Replacements Engine replacement,
Expenses battery

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 Life Cycle Analysis of PV systems
It is about the economics
Life Cycle Cost (LCC) is the cost of the system for
operating it during its life time
= Initial capital cost + replacement cost + recurring cost

The LCC is calculated to compare different systems for the

same job
Annualized LCC can be used to find out the cost of
electricity generated from PV in its lifetime

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 Present worth of future investment
There are two phenomena that affects the value of money over time
Inflation rate, i, (indicates the decrease in the purchasing power of the money)
Discount rate, d, (indicates the interest that can be earned on the principle that is
saved)

N (n)  N 0 (1  d ) n
N(n) how your money will grow
n
C (n)  C0 (1  i ) C(n) how the cost will grow

n
 1 i 
Fi - Present worth factor Fi   
PW –present worth 1 d 
PW  Co * Fi
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 Present worth of recurring cost
Regular expenses for operation and maintenance, fuel cost, etc.
Present worth is function of inflation rate and discount rate

When recurring investment is made i- inflation rate

in the beginning of year d- discount rate
n- years of operation
1 xn 1 i
Frc  where x 
1 x 1 d
PW  Crc * Frc beg

When recurring investment is made

at the end of year

PW  Crc * ( Frc end ) Frc end  x * Frc beg

Ref: PV systems Engg, 2nd ed, by R.A. Messenger, J. Ventre
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 Example: LCC analysis
Problem definition: A signboard on an highway is either needs to be powered
by PV system or a diesel generator system. The sign board should be on for 24
hours with minimal downtime. Its lifetime should be 20 years. It would take
about 2kWh of energy per day. Which should be employed?

System designs
PV system – 500W module@4$/w, 9004/ battery, 300$ charge controller, and
100$ annual maintenance cost, battery replacement every five years.
Diesel gen – 500W generator of 250$, 2 kWh/liter petrol, annual maintenance -
$1500, engine replacement every five years.

Assume – inflation rate – 0.03, Discount rate- 0.10

Fi(5)= 0.72, Fi(10)= 0.51 , Fi(15)=0.37, Frc-beg = 11.5, Frc-end=10.77

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Life Cycle Cost of PV system
Component Initial cost PW
PV array 2000 2000
Controller 300 300
Batteries 900 900
Battary-5Yr 900 648
Battary-10Yr 900 466
Battary-15Yr 900 336
Annual maintenance 100 1077
LCC 5727

Note: All costs are in USD

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Life Cycle Cost of Diesel Generator System
Component Initial cost Annual cost PW
Generator 250 250

Fuel 550 6326

Gen-5 yr 250 180

Gen-10 yr 250 130

Gen-15 yr 250 93

Annual Maintenance 1500 17250

LCC 24229

Note: All costs are in USD

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 Annualized LCC

It gives an idea about what is the annual cost at PW

Simply can not be obtained by dividing LCC by 12
One should divide it by Frc-beg or Frc-end,
So what is ALCC for PV and DG systems?

What would be the cost of electricity produced from the two

systems?

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 Chetan Singh Solanki

Department of Energy Science and Engineering

IIT Bombay

chetanss@iitb.ac.in

Thank you for your

attention