Technical and Economic Analysis of Modernization of Solar Power Plant: A Case Study from the Republic of Cuba

The problem of increasing the efficiency of existing power plants is relevant for many countries. Solar power plants built at the end of the 20th century require, as their shelf lives have now expired, not only the replacement of the solar modules, but also the modernization of their component composition. This is due to the requirements to improve the efficiency of power plants to ensure the expansion of renewable energy technologies. This article presents a technical and economic analysis of the choice of solar power plant modernization method, which consists of (1) a method for calculating the amount of power generation; (2) the modeling of solar power plants under specific climatic conditions; (3) the analysis of electricity generation using different types of PV modules and solar radiation trapping technologies in Matlab/Simulink; and (4) the technical and economic analysis of a 2.5 MW solar power plant in the Republic of Cuba (in operation since 2015), for which four different modernization options were considered. All the scenarios differ in the depth of modernization; the results of the analysis were compared with the existing plant. The results of the study showed that the different modernization scenarios respond differently to changes in the inputted technical and economic parameters (cost per kWh, inflation rate, losses, and power plant efficiency). The maximum NPV deviations among the considered scenarios are: a 1% increase in inflation reduces NPV by 2%; a decrease in losses from 20% to 10% increases the NPV by 2.5%; a change in cost from EUR 0.05 to EUR 0.1 increases the NPV by more than 3.5 times. The dependence of the economic results was also tested as a function of three factors: solar module efficiency, inflation, and the price per 1 kWh. It was found that the greatest influence on the NPV of the proposed model is the price per 1 kWh. Based on this analysis, an algorithm was developed to choose the most effective scenario for the conditions of the Republic of Cuba for the modernization of the existing power plants.

Analysis of Overcurrent Safety in Miniature Circuit Breaker with Alternating Current

In the utilization of solar energy, the equipment used includes Photovoltaic Cells, solar charging controls, batteries, protection devices, and other measuring devices. This solar power generation system is the name of a system that can convert solar energy into electric power. This solar power plant used in buildings is referred to as the Solar Building System (SBS). To perfect this solar power generation system, it is necessary to manage the electric power protection system. The protection system in this solar power plant includes the use of Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCB). This Miniature Circuit Breaker is a tool for overcurrent protection in alternating current systems and direct current systems. In order to obtain a good protection system for this solar power plant, a study was conducted on the use of a miniature circuit breaker that is effective for a certain type of current. The research method used is the use of alternating current and direct current miniature circuit breakers in alternating current circuits. Observations and recordings were carried out, so that the obtained results were quite significantly different in their use. From the results of the study, it was found that the Miniature alternating current circuit breaker has better characteristics in alternating current circuits, when compared to direct current miniature circuit breakers.

Performance Evaluation of Solar Power Plants: A Review and a Case Study

The world’s electricity generation has increased with renewable energy technologies such as solar (solar power plant), wind energy (wind turbines), heat energy, and even ocean waves. Iran is in the best condition to receive solar radiation due to its proximity to the equator (25.2969° N). In 2020, Iran was able to supply only 900 MW (about 480 solar power plants and 420 MW home solar power plants) of its electricity demand from solar energy, which is very low compared to the global average. Yazd, Fars, and Kerman provinces are in the top ranks of Iran, with the production of approximately 68, 58, and 47 MW using solar energy, respectively. Iran also has a large area of vacant land for the construction of solar power plants. In this article, the amount of electricity generation using solar energy in Iran is studied. In addition, the construction of a 10 MW power plant in the city of Sirjan is economically and technically analyzed. The results show that with US$16.14 million, a solar power plant can be built in the Sirjan region, and the initial capital will be returned in about four years. The results obtained using Homer software show that the highest maximum power generation is in July.