SOLAR POWER SYSTEM DESIGN

Major System components

PV converts sunlight into DC electricity

Solar Charger Controller regulates the

voltage and current from the PV panels going
to battery and prevents battery overcharging
and prolongs the battery life

Inverter converts DC output of PV panels

into clean AC current for AC appliances or
fed back into grid line

Battery stores energy for supplying to

electrical appliances when there is demand

Load are electrical appliances that is

connected to solar PV system such as lights,
radio, TV computer, refrigerator, etc.
 Solar PV System Sizing
1. Determine power consumption demands
1. Calculate total watt-hours per-day for each appliance used
2. Calculate total watt-hours per day needed from the PV
modules

2. Size the PV modules

1. Calculate the total watt-peak rating needed for PV modules
2. Calculate the number of PV panels for the system

3. Inverter sizing

4. Battery sizing

5. Solar charge controller sizing

 Example
Solar PV System Sizing
Example :
A house has the following electrical appliance usage;
One 18 watts fluorescent lamp with electronic ballast used 4 hours
per day.
One 60 watts fan used for 2 hours per day
One 75 watts refrigerator that runs 24 hours per day with
compressor run 12 hours and off 12 hours

Determine power consumption demands

Calculate total watt-hours per-day for each appliance used
Total appliance use
= (18 watts x 4 hours)+(60 watts x 2hours) x (75 watts x 12 hours)
= 1,092 Wh/day
Calculate total watt-hours per day needed from the PV modules

1,092 Wh/day x 1.3 (the energy lost in the system)

= 1,419.6 Wh/day
 Size the PV panel

Calculate the total watt-peak rating needed for PV modules

Total Wp of PV panel capacity needed
= 1,419.6 / 3.4 (panel generation factor)
= 413.9 Wp

Calculate the number of PV panels for the system

Number of PV panel needed
= 413.9 / 110
= 3.76 modules

Actual requirement = 4 modules

So this system should be powered by at least 4 modules of 110 Wp
PV modules
 Inverter sizing

Total Watt of all appliances = 18 watts + 60 Watts + 75 Watts = 153 watts

For safety, the inverter should be considered 25-30% bigger size
= 153 Watts x 1.25 = 191.25

The inverter size should be about 190 W or greater

Battery Sizing

Total appliance use = (18 watts x 4 hours)+(60 watts x 2hours) x (75 watts
x 12 hours)
Nominal voltage = 12 volts
Days of autonomy = 3 days

Battery Capacity = [(18W x 4 hrs)+(60W x 2 hrs)+(75W x 12 hrs)] x 3

(0.85 x 0.6 x 12)
= 535.29 Ah
So the battery should be rated 12 volts Ah for 3 days autonomy

Note: Battery lost = 0.85 ; Depth of charge = 0.60 ; Nominal battery voltage = 12V
 Solar charge controller sizing
PV module specification

Pm = 110 Wp
Vm = 16.7 Vdc
Im = 6.6 A
Voc = 20.7 A
Isc = 7.5 A

In practice, the sizing of solar charge controller is:

(Number of module x Short circuit current) x 1.3
1.3 (the energy lost in the system

Solar charge controller sizing =

(4 module x 7.5 A) x 1.3 = 39A

So the solar charge controller should be rated 40 A at 12V or greater

 Calculating Solar Charging and Discharging Time

Mini Solar Panel (PV): 4V 270mA (1W)

LED
Power : 1 W
Battery Voltage : 3.0 - 3.6 V
Nominal voltage : 3.7 Current: 350mA
Nominal capacity : 2200 mAh
 I V Curve

Isc
Pm (Maximum Power Point)

Imp

Power Curve

Vmp

Voc

Isc : is obtain at 0V (Maximum current) Short circuit current

Voc : is obtain at 0A (Maximum voltage) Open circuit voltage

Pm : is obtain at maximum power point is used to indicate the output

power of PV module called Watt-Peak (Wp)
Pm = Imp x Vmp
 Size and Output Power
Available output power is estimated as

Wp = k X Wp (catalog)

K is total loss factor

0.8 for crystalline PV module
0.6 for amorphous PV module

Type Catalog power Available Power

10 Wp 6 Wp
Amorphous type
20 Wp 12 Wp
25 Wp 20 Wp
36 Wp 29 Wp
Crystalline type 55 Wp 44 Wp
83 Wp 66 Wp
110 Wp 88 Wp
 Peak hours
Daylight Hours

Peak Hours

Average
Isolation

Sunrise Sunset
Example 1 :
How much ampere hour is generated per day with 55 Wp PV module in the area when 5 hours
of peak hours are obtain?
Wp actual = k x 55 Wp = 0.8 x 55Wp = 44 Wp
Wh = Wp actual x Peak hours = 44 Wp x 5.0 h = 220 Wh
Ah = Wh/12V = 220 Wh / 12 V = 18.3 Ah
Example 2 :
How much ampere-hour is available for discharge if all generated power is stored in a battery
with 55Wp PV module?
From Ex 1. 18.3 Ah is obtain as generated power
Ah discharged = Ah generated x ampere-hour efficiency
= 18.3 Ah x 0.8 = 14.6 Ah
 Peak hours
Example 3 :
How much ampere-hour is available per day with 55Wp PV module?

From Ex 1. 18.3 Ah is obtain as generated power

Ah day time = Ah generated x 0.3 = 5.5 Ah
Ah night time = Ah generated x 0.7 x 0.8 = 10.2 Ah

Ah day = Ah day time + Ah night time

= 5.5 Ah + 10.2= 15.7 Ah

Tilt Angle

The latitude plus 5 deg. to 10 deg.

Example :
Show orientation and recommended tilt angle at Philippines

Latitude of the Philippines is (Latitude of Philippines: 1300 North) based on google

13 deg. + 5 deg. = 18 deg then rounded to 20 degrees

13 deg. + 10 deg. = 23 deg then rounded to 25 degrees

Orientation angle is 20 degrees or 25 degrees

 EZSolar Method
EZSolar Method

A very simplified method for system design (say easy method)

System Sizing:

EZSolar Formula 1: Determine the number of lights by PV module size.

Number of Lights = Value at tens digit of PV module EZ1
EZ1 = 0 (without TV)
Number of Lights by PV size
EZ1 = 1 (with TV)

Example: No. of lights (7W or 9W)

PV module
5 5 W (PV module size) size (W) Without Radio + With Radio +
Cassette Cassette
5 - 0 = 5 (without TV) 25 2 1
5 - 1 = 4 (with TV)
36 3 2
Tens digit EZ1
55 5 4

83 8 7

110 11 10
 EZSolar Method
EZSolar Method

Size of battery

EZSolar Formula 2: Determine the battery size by PV module size.

Battery capacity (Ah)= PV module size (W) x EZ2
EZ2 = 1 to 2 (any value between 1 and 2)
PV module size vs. Battery capacity
Example:
5 5 W (PV module size)
PV Battery capacity (C/20)
55 x 1 = 55 Ah module
Minimum Minimum Minimum
(minimum capacity) size (W) ((EZ2=1) ((EZ2=1.5) ((EZ2=2)
55 x 1.5 = 83 Ah 25 25 Ah 38 Ah 50 Ah
55 x 2 = 110 Ah
(Maximum Capacity 36 36 Ah 54 Ah 72 AH
PV size EZ2 55 55 Ah 83 Ah 110 Ah

83 83 Ah 125 Ah 166 Ah

110 110 Ah 165 Ah 220 Ah

 EZSolar Method
EZSolar Method

EZSolar Formula 3: Calculate the available load power by PV module size.

Available power per day (AH/day) = (PV module size (W) / EZ3) x T
EZ3 = 18
T = Peak hours per day at the area
Example:
5 5 W (PV module size)

(55 / 18 ) x 5.0 = 15.3 Ah per day

Number of Lights by PV size
PV size EZ3 Peak hours PV
Available power per day (Ah/day)
module
(at the area where peak hours = 5 h)
size (W)
25 (25 / 18) x 5 = 6.9

36 (36/ 18) x 5 = 10.0

55 (55 / 18) x 5 = 15.3

83 (83 / 18) x 5 = 23.1

110 (110 / 18) x 5 = 30.1