Performance Analysis of 3kW Residential Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System with Microinverter Topology using System Advisor Model

Abstract: Grid connected rooftop PV systems are the most common form of solar energy utilization that helps home owners to reduce carbon footprint and save money in utility bills. This project focuses on the design and modelling of a 3KW residential PV system connected to a 240V single phase grid. The purpose of this study was to conduct an independent experiment on a photovoltaic system with microinverters, to determine their performance characteristics in shaded and unshaded conditions. The systems have fixed tilt angle and fixed azimuth angle. In order to analyse the performance of the systems, the Energy Yield, Performance Ratio, Capacity factor and Annual Energy have been used. This allowed to obtain reliable metrics even with different Irradiance values and different Peak Powers. In the conventional central inverters, several strings of PV modules are combined in order to achieve the power required from the inverter to operate. Strings are connected in parallel and then these strings are led to the inverter after running several meters of DC cables. These cables are often very thick and as a result are very expensive while at the same time, they add losses to the overall system. On the other hand, AC cables are much less expensive and they have fewer losses. A residential system was designed in SAM using specific weather data. The simulation results supported the fact that micro inverters perform well in both shaded and non-shaded conditions. A significant advantage of Micro Inverters is the avoidance of shading losses and mismatch among different PV technologies which consists a great challenge on PV installations. The String Inverter system produced an annual energy of 4763 kWh in the first year with no shading and 4286 kWh in the first year with shading losses. Keywords: Inverters, Photovoltaic cells, Photovoltaic systems, Solar energy, Solar panels.

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Performance Analysis of 14 MW Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System

Solar Energy and Sustainable Development ◽

10.51646/jsesd.v4i1.56 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ahmed S Kagilik ◽

Abduraouf M Tawel

Keyword(s):

Performance Analysis ◽

Power Plants ◽

Large Scale ◽

Photovoltaic System ◽

Performance Ratio ◽

First Year ◽

Energy Yield ◽

Plant Design ◽

Pv System ◽

Local Climate

Many Libyan authorities proposed to investigate the possibility of utilizing a suitable terrain in Libya to add generation capacity of large-scale photovoltaic power plants. In this paper, the first grid-connected PV plant of 14 MWp which will be executed in Hoon city and supported by the Renewable Energy Authority of Libya (REAOL) is presented. To understand and improve the operational behavior of PV system, a comprehensive study including the plant design and detailed performance analysis under a local climate conditions is performed. Using polycrystalline silicon technology, the first year energy yield is estimated and the monthly system output for this plant is calculated. The performance ratio and various power losses (temperature, irradiance, power electronics, interconnection, etc.) are determined. The PV system supplied 24964 MWh to the grid during the first year giving an average annual overall yield factor 1783 kWh/kWp and average annual performance ratio of the system of 76.9%.

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Performance Analysis of 14 MW Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System

Solar Energy and Sustainable Development ◽

10.51646/jsesd.v4i1.58 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ahmed S Kagilik ◽

Abduraouf M Tawel

Keyword(s):

Performance Analysis ◽

Power Plants ◽

Large Scale ◽

Photovoltaic System ◽

Performance Ratio ◽

First Year ◽

Energy Yield ◽

Plant Design ◽

Pv System ◽

Local Climate

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Performance Analysis of 33KW Grid Connected Solar Roof Top Power Plant

International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering - Special Issue ◽

10.35940/ijitee.e2923.039520 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 1765-1770

Keyword(s):

Meteorological Data ◽

Simulation Software ◽

Photovoltaic System ◽

Performance Ratio ◽

Solar Panels ◽

Data Logger ◽

Pv System ◽

Ip Address ◽

The Third ◽

Final Array

Solar Roof tops are being progressively used worldwide now a days to install solar panels to generate electricity. One such step has been taken by S.R.K.R Engineering College to generate power through solar roof tops by installing a 33KWp On-grid solar power system (Latitude 16.54° N and Longitude 81.50° E) during April-2016. This grid connected PV system is installed at an area of 345 sq. m and the PV modules are tilted at an angle of 18° on the top of a 3 staired building. This paper analyses the Performance of a 33KWp On-grid photovoltaic system which is monitored between Jan-2019 to Dec-2019. Some part of electricity generated by the system is consumed by the college and the remaining power was fed in to the state grid. The tariff for the grid connected system is based on the energy consumed from the grid and the energy supplied in to the grid. The data is collected from the Data-logger of the inverter which is having an IP address. This data is collected according to the IEC protocol which suggests to collect the data for every 15 minutes. The data is collected from the inverter in this format and is stored as a csv file every day. This data along with the meteorological data collected from the coordinates of the site are analyzed by using pvsyst simulation software. The performance of this system is found for the third year in operation. . The analysis of the PV system has been done to enumerate its performance at each and every component and thereby develop solution to mitigate the problems. The different parameters including efficiencies of panels, inverter, array’s initial yield, final array yield, and the performance ratio of PV system are analyzed.

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PVcheck—A Software to Check Your Photovoltaic System

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14206757 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (20) ◽

pp. 6757

Author(s):

Markus Rinio

Keyword(s):

Peak Power ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Data File ◽

Photovoltaic System ◽

Weather Data ◽

Energy Yield ◽

Pv System ◽

Time Operation ◽

Long Time ◽

Module Efficiency

Having a photovoltaic (PV) system raises the question of whether it runs as expected. Measuring its energy yield takes a long time and the result still contains uncertainties from varying weather conditions and possible shading of the modules. Here, a free software PVcheck to measure the peak power of the system is announced, using the power data of a single sunny day. The software loads a data file of the generated power as a function of time from this day. This data file is provided by typical inverters. The software then simulates this power curve using known parameters like angle and location of the PV system. The assumed peak power of the simulation can then be adjusted so that the simulated curve matches the measured one. The software runs under Microsoft Windows™ and makes use of the free library pvlib python. The simulation can be refined by importing weather data like temperature, wind speed, and insolation. Furthermore, curves describing the nominal module efficiency as a function of the illumination intensity as well as the power-dependent inverter efficiency can be included in the simulation. First results reveal a good agreement of the simulation with experimental data. The software can be used to detect strong problems in PV systems after installation and to monitor their long-time operation.

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Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System Performance Prediction using Long-Term Weather Data

Scientific Research Journal ◽

10.24191/srj.v17i1.6321 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 43

Author(s):

Nor Zaini Zakaria ◽

Hedzlin Zainuddin ◽

Sulaiman Shaari ◽

Ahmad Maliki Omar ◽

Shahril Irwan Sulaiman

Keyword(s):

Performance Prediction ◽

Data Models ◽

Photovoltaic System ◽

Weather Data ◽

Energy Yield ◽

Pv System ◽

Ground Station ◽

Actual Field ◽

Model Year

This aim of this paper is to evaluate the accuracy of long-term weather data models for performance prediction of grid-connected photovoltaic (GCPV) systems. The analyses were done for a 6-year old metal deck roof retrofitted GCPV system located in Shah Alam, Malaysia. The monthly and annual energy yield of the actual field data for three consecutive years were compared with the predicted yield using the long-term weather data models. These models were the Typical Meteorological Year (TMY), Model Year Climate (MYC), Microclimate data, and statistical Long-Term Mean for ground station data at Subang. The findings can be a reference for photovoltaic (PV) system designers on the range of accuracy when using the weather data models for performance predictions of GCPV system in Malaysia.

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The Analysis Performance of a Grid-Connected 8.2 kWp Photovoltaic System in the Patagonia Region

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12219227 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (21) ◽

pp. 9227

Author(s):

Humberto Vidal ◽

Marco Rivera ◽

Patrick Wheeler ◽

Nicolás Vicencio

Keyword(s):

Photovoltaic System ◽

Public Institution ◽

Performance Ratio ◽

Solar Irradiation ◽

Energy Yield ◽

Solar Pv ◽

Pv System ◽

Electrical Grid ◽

Information Sets ◽

Electrical Loads

Solar PV structures for locations at high latitudes in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are increasingly in the spotlight. The work reported in this paper analyses the behaviour of a grid-connected 8.2 kWp photovoltaic system to either feed on-site electrical loads (a public institution, Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF), located 5.5 km south of Punta Arenas, lat. 53° S) or to feed into the electrical grid when the photovoltaic system generation is higher than the on-site load demand. The system simulation uses the PVSyst software with Meteonorm derived and measured climate information sets (ambient temperature, solar irradiation and wind speed). The agreement between the simulated and measured energy yield is analysed including the evaluation of the optimal generation energy of the PV array, the energy that is fed into the network, the performance ratio, and the normalised energy generation per installed kWp. The PV system considered in this work generates 7005.3 kWh/year, out of which only 6778 kWh/year are injected into the grid. The measured annual performance ratio is around 89%. The normalised productions of the inverter output or final system yield, i.e., useful energy, is 3.6 kWh/kWp/day. The measured annual average capacity factor obtained from this study is 15.1%. These performance parameters will encourage greater use of photovoltaic technology in the Chilean Patagonia region.

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Experimental Efficiency Analysis of a Photovoltaic System with Different Module Technologies under Temperate Climate Conditions

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app9010141 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 141 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Slawomir Gulkowski ◽

Agata Zdyb ◽

Piotr Dragan

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Energy Production ◽

Photovoltaic System ◽

Performance Ratio ◽

Temperate Climate ◽

Pv System ◽

Lower Efficiency ◽

Total Size ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Technology System

This study presents a comparative analysis of energy production over the year 2015 by the grid connected experimental photovoltaic (PV) system composed by different technology modules, which operates under temperate climate meteorological conditions of Eastern Poland. Two thin film technologies have been taken into account: cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS). Rated power of each system is approximately equal to 3.5 kWp. In addition, the performance of a polycrystalline silicon technology system has been analyzed in order to provide comprehensive comparison of the efficiency of thin film and crystalline technologies in the same environmental conditions. The total size of the pc-Si system is equal to 17 kWp. Adequate sensors have been installed at the location of the PV system to measure solar irradiance and temperature of the modules. In real external conditions all kinds of modules exhibit lower efficiency than the values provided by manufacturers. The study reveals that CIGS technology is characterized by the highest energy production and performance ratio. The observed temperature related losses are of the lowest degree in case of CIGS modules.

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Assessment of Existing Photovoltaic System with Cooling and Cleaning System: Case Study at Al-Khobar City

Processes ◽

10.3390/pr8010009 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Nader Nader ◽

Wael Al-Kouz ◽

Sameer Al-Dahidi

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Solar Energy ◽

Average Power ◽

Photovoltaic System ◽

Maximum Efficiency ◽

Solar Panels ◽

Greenhouse Gasses ◽

Cleaning System ◽

Vision 2030 ◽

The Cost

There is no denial that renewable energy is considered to be the most cost-competitive source of clean power in many parts of the world. Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030 aims at achieving the best by using different sources of renewable energy such as solar energy, wind energy, and others. The use of solar energy in particular for power generation will decrease the dependency on oil, and thus, decrease the greenhouse gasses. Solar panels efficiency tends to decrease with the accumulation of dust on their surface. Thus, a cleaning process requires assigning and employing labor, which increases the cost of running as well as high cost of machinery. The current study focuses on assessing and designing a simple auto self-cleaning system in order to improve the efficiency of the solar panel. The results showed that for the Al-Khobar region, Eastern Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the efficiency of the solar panels after cleaning was increased from 6% to an average of 12% at nominal temperature of 27 °C. In addition, the average power output was increased by 35% during the day time. In addition, the normal efficiency of the solar panels before cooling was between 10% to 15% at 42 °C. After cooling, the temperature of solar cells decreased to 20 °C and the efficiency increased by 7%. Moreover, the output power was increased by 31% with maximum efficiency of 32% at noon time.

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Design and Simulation of a PV System Operating in Grid-Connected and Stand-Alone Modes for Areas of Daily Grid Blackouts

International Journal of Photoenergy ◽

10.1155/2019/5216583 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Moien A. Omar ◽

Marwan M. Mahmoud

Keyword(s):

Solar Radiation ◽

State Of Charge ◽

Performance Ratio ◽

Energy Yield ◽

Real Problem ◽

Storage Battery ◽

Pv System ◽

Daily Energy ◽

Battery State Of Charge ◽

Continuous Power

The electricity in Gaza, Palestine, is limited and scheduled for 4-10 hours per day due to political reasons. This status represents a real problem for different sectors. This paper presents an effective solution especially for the energy supply problem in the residential sector by using an unconventional PV system which operates in stand-alone and grid-connected modes. The system includes a storage battery block with a proper capacity to secure for continuous power supply of a residential house with a daily energy load of 10 kWh. It was found that an unconventional PV system of 3.2 kWp and a storage battery block of 19.2 kWh will be able to cover the total daily energy demands of the house including the outlined electricity cutoff hours. The design of this system and specifics of its components are presented in this paper. The system was simulated by Matlab software, where the daily load curve, grid cutoff hours, and the monthly solar radiation are considered. The obtained simulation results show that the produced PV energy exceeds the load demands during nine months of the year, and thereby, a high battery state of charge (SOC) in the range of 73-84% is achieved. During the three months of the lowest solar radiation (Dec.-Feb.), the produced PV energy is equal to the load demand while the battery state of charge varies in the range of 40-49% which verifies the appropriateness of the proposed PV system. The daily energy yield of the PV system varies between 2.6 and 5.4 kWh/kWp in January and July, respectively, which corresponds to a performance ratio of 90% and 66.25%, respectively.

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Performance Analysis of a Hypothetical 1-Hectare PV Plant in the Benguela Region. The First Year of Operation.

Angolan Mineral, Oil & Gas Journal ◽

10.47444/amogj.v2i2.6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 32-39

Author(s):

Carlos Pinho ◽

Luís Ramos ◽

Zenaida Mourão

Keyword(s):

Average Energy ◽

Alternate Current ◽

Total Surface Area ◽

Performance Ratio ◽

Electricity Production ◽

Emissions Reduction ◽

First Year ◽

Pv System ◽

Energy And Exergy ◽

Pv Modules

The presents study evaluates the performance of a hypothetical 1-hectare solar photovoltaic (PV) plant located in the Baía Azul Beach, in Benguela, Angola. The first year performance of the plant composed by 2,784 DuoMax 365 PV modules from Trina Solar Company was evaluated by means of the VelaSolaris Polysum software package. The total surface area of the PV modules was of 5,456.64 m2. The annual alternate current electricity production was of 1,511.70 MWh allowing a total of 710.47 tCO2 of CO2 emissions reduction and a performance ratio of 72.8 %. The annual average energy and exergy efficiencies of the PV system were respectively of of 14.3 % and 14.7 %.

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