OFF GRID SOLAR PV PLANT SIZING AND DESIGN

Prepared By- Dr K L Mokariya

Head Electrical Engineering Department
Government Engineering College
Valsad
 CONTENTS
➢ On Grid Vs Off Grid solar
➢ Power supply position in India as on Jan 2015
➢ Peak demand met as on Jan 2015
➢ Month wise power supply position in
Gujarat(2015-16)
➢ Principle of PV Generation
➢ List of Manufacturers of solar cell, solar modules
➢ Typical PV system Arrangement
➢ Off grid PV system sizing, design and calculation
➢ Conclusion
 On-Grid Solar
Definition:-
On-Grid systems are solar PV systems that only generate power
when utility grid is available. They can send excess power
generated back to the grid when you are overproducing so one
can credit it for later use.
Benefits:-
These are simplest systems and most cost effective to install.
These systems will pay for themselves by offsetting utility bills in
3-8 years.
 On-grid
A grid tied system often includes a net metering
agreement. This means when u provide extra
power you can feed it back to the grid and
receive a credit on your power bills for those
times when you use more than produce. Some
utility company may also pay for your excess
power, or buy power from you at higher than
the going rate(this is called Feed in tariff).
 Off Grid Solar

Definition
These systems allow you to store power in
batteries for use when the power grid goes
down or if you are not on the grid.Hybrid
systems provide power to offset the grid power
whenever the sun is shining and will even send
excess power to the grid for credit for later use.
 OFF Grid Solar
Benefits:-
Provides power for your critical loads when the power grid is
down.
Down side:-
Cannot be expected to provide power for all your loads since the
cost and volume of batteries would be prohibitive. Sizing the
solar array and the batteries required is complex. Detailed
analysis of your requirements will be needed to provide for your
minimum critical loads.
ANTICIPATED ANNUAL POWER SUPPLY
POSITION IN EACH STATE(2015-16)
 MONTH WISE POWER SUPPLY
POSITION IN GUJARAT(2015-16)
 All India Installed capacity in MW(As
on 31.3.16)
Coal Gas Diesel Nulear Hydro RES
185172.88 24508.63 993.53 5780 42783.42 42849.38(14
.18%)
Coal+Gas+Diesel (210675.04) Total:-302087.84

Small Hydro Wind power BM power/Cogen+ Waste to Solar

Energy
4273.47 26866.6(62.7 4831.33+115.08 6762.85(15.7
%) 8%)
 Importance of solar
Compared to imported coal,
the cost of wind power is already
competitive thus requiring no
additional support, and the cost of
solar power will be competitive by
2019.
We find that wind power is
already competitive meaning the
levelized cost of electricity from wind
power is the same or lower than that
from coal, and would not require any
government support. For solar power,
the levelized cost of electricity was
11.79% higher than imported coal in
2015.
However, this gap will narrow over time due to learning effects that
drive solar capital costs down while fossil fuels become progressively more
expensive, primarily due to inflation and increased transportation costs.3 By
2019, solar power is expected to be cheaper than imported coal-based power.
 SOLAR POWER IN INDIA

➢As of March 2015,India had already setup over 3.7GW grid connected solar
plants, in addition to 234 MW off grid SPV system. For India solar power is a
major strategic option, given that it not only provides much needed energy
security and electricity system diversification, but also an opportunity to
bolster India's domestic solar power equipment manufacturing base.
➢ In India where 300 million people are still not fully covered by electricity
access with this strategic objectives in view the prime minister of India has
declared ambitious solar power capacity addition targets. India announced a
target of adding 100GW of solar plants by year 2022.If successful, India would
become one of the three largest solar power players globally behind only
China and Japan.
 Solar basic working principle

A solar cell is a sandwich of n-type silicon (blue) and p-type silicon (red).
▪When sunlight shines on the cell, photons (light particles) bombard the upper surface.
▪The photons (yellow blobs) carry their energy down through the cell.
▪The photons give up their energy to electrons (green blobs) in the lower, p-type layer.
▪The electrons use this energy to jump across the barrier into the upper, n-type layer and
escape out into the circuit.
▪Flowing around the circuit, the electrons make the lamp light up.
 Model of crystalline silicon cell

Over 95% of all the solar cells produced worldwide are composed of the semiconductor material
Silicon (Si). As the second most abundant element in earth`s crust, silicon has the advantage, of
being available in sufficient quantities, and additionally processing the material does not burden
the environment. To produce a solar cell, the semiconductor is contaminated or "doped". "Doping"
is the intentional introduction of chemical elements, with which one can obtain a surplus of either
positive charge carriers (p-conducting semiconductor layer) or negative charge carriers (n-
conducting semiconductor layer) from the semiconductor material. If two differently contaminated
semiconductor layers are combined, then a so-called p-n-junction results on the boundary of the
layers.
At this junction, an interior electric field is built up which leads to the separation of the charge
carriers that are released by light. Through metal contacts, an electric charge can be tapped. If the
outer circuit is closed, meaning a consumer is connected, then direct current flows.
Silicon cells are approximately 10 cm by 10 cm large (recently also 15 cm by 15 cm). A transparent
anti-reflection film protects the cell and decreases reflective loss on the cell surface
 Principle of PV Generation

•Photons in sunlight hit the solar panel and are absorbed by semiconducting
materials, such as silicon.
•Electrons (negatively charged) are knocked loose from their atoms,
allowing them to flow through the material to produce electricity. Due to
the special composition of solar cells, the electrons are only allowed to
move in a single direction. The complementary positive charges that are
also created (like bubbles) are called holes and flow in the direction
opposite of the electrons in a silicon solar panel.
•An array of solar cells converts solar energy into a usable amount of direct
current (DC) electricity.
 Characteristics of Solar cell

The usable voltage from solar cells depends on the semiconductor material. In
silicon it amounts to approximately 0.5 V. Terminal voltage is only weakly dependent
on light radiation, while the current intensity increases with higher luminosity. A 100
cm² silicon cell, for example, reaches a maximum current intensity of approximately
2 A when radiated by 1000 W/m².
The output (product of electricity and voltage) of a solar cell is temperature
dependent. Higher cell temperatures lead to lower output, and hence to lower
efficiency. The level of efficiency indicates how much of the radiated quantity of light
is converted into useable electrical energy.
 Characteristics of Solar cell
• The power delivered by a solar cell is the product of current
and voltage .If the multiplication is done point for point for
all voltages from from short-circuit to open-circuit
conditions, the power curve is obtained for given radiation
level.
• With the solar cell open-circuited, that is not connected to
any load, the current will be at its minimum(zero)and voltage
across the cell is at its maximum, known as the solar cell
open-circuited voltage.(Voc)
• At the other extreme end when the solar cell is circuited
(positive and negative leads connected together),the voltage
across the cell is at its minimum(zero)but the current flowing
out of the cell reaches maximum known as solar cells short
circuit current Isc.
Cell , module , array and panel
 Materials used for solar PV
• Crystalline Silicon
• Mono crystalline
• Polycrystalline
• Thin-Film Solar Panels
• Building Integrated Photovoltaics
 Mono crystalline Silicon Solar Cells
Solar cells made of monocrystalline
silicon (mono-Si), also called single-
crystalline silicon (single-crystal-Si),
are quite easily recognizable by an
external even coloring and uniform
look, indicating high-purity silicon,
as you can see in the picture.
 Mon crystalline Silicon solar cells
• Mono crystalline solar cells are made out of silicon ingots,
which are cylindrical in shape. To optimize performance
and lower costs of a single mono crystalline solar cell,
four sides are cut out of the cylindrical ingots to make
silicon wafers, which is what gives mono crystalline solar
panels their characteristic look.
• A good way to separate mono- and polycrystalline solar
panels is that polycrystalline solar cells look perfectly
rectangular with no rounded edges
 Mon crystalline Silicon solar cells
• Advantages
• Mono crystalline solar panels have the highest efficiency rates since
they are made out of the highest-grade silicon. The efficiency rates of
mono crystalline solar panels are typically 15-20%. Sun Power produces
the highest efficiency solar panels on the U.S. market today. Their E20
series provide panel conversion efficiencies of up to 20.1%.Update
(April, 2013) Sun Power has now released the X-series at a record-
breaking efficiency of 21.5%.
• Mono crystalline silicon solar panels are space-efficient. Since these
solar panels yield the highest power outputs, they also require the least
amount of space compared to any other types. Mono crystalline solar
panels produce up to four times the amount of electricity as thin-film
solar panels.
• Mono crystalline solar panels live the longest. Most solar panel
manufacturers put a 25-year warranty on their mono crystalline solar
panels.
• Tend to perform better than similarly rated polycrystalline solar panels at
low-light conditions.
 Mon crystalline Silicon solar cells
• Disadvantages
• Monocrystalline solar panels are the most expensive. From a
financial standpoint, a solar panel that is made of polycrystalline
silicon (and in some cases thin-film) can be a better choice for
some homeowners.
• If the solar panel is partially covered with shade, dirt or snow, the
entire circuit can break down. Consider getting micro-inverters
instead of central string inverters if you think coverage will be a
problem. Micro-inverters will make sure that not the entire solar
array is affected by shading issues with only one of the solar
panels.
• The Czochralski process is used to produce monocrystalline
silicon. It results in large cylindrical ingots. Four sides are cut out
of the ingots to make silicon wafers. A significant amount of the
original silicon ends up as waste.
• Monocrystalline solar panels tend to be more efficient in warm
weather. Performance suffers as temperature goes up, but less so
than polycrystalline solar panels. For most homeowners
temperature is not a concern.
 Polycrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

• The first solar panels based

on polycrystalline silicon,
which also is known as poly
silicon (p-Si) and multi-
crystalline silicon (mc-
Si), were introduced to the
market in 1981. Unlike
mono crystalline-based solar
panels, polycrystalline solar
panels do not require the
Czochralski process. Raw
silicon is melted and poured
into a square mold, which is
cooled and cut into perfectly
square wafers.
 Polycrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

• Advantages
• The process used to make polycrystalline silicon is simpler
and cost less. The amount of waste silicon is less compared
to mono crystalline.
• Polycrystalline solar panels tend to have slightly lower
heat tolerance than mono crystalline solar panels. This
technically means that they perform slightly worse than
mono crystalline solar panels in high temperatures. Heat
can affect the performance of solar panels and shorten their
lifespans. However, this effect is minor, and most
homeowners do not need to take it into account.
 Polycrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

• Disadvantages
• The efficiency of polycrystalline-based solar panels is typically
13-16%. Because of lower silicon purity, polycrystalline solar
panels are not quite as efficient as mono crystalline solar panels.
• Lower space-efficiency. You generally need to cover a larger
surface to output the same electrical power as you would with a
solar panel made of mono crystalline silicon. However, this does
not mean every mono crystalline solar panel perform better than
those based on polycrystalline silicon.
• Mono crystalline and thin-film solar panels tend to be more
aesthetically pleasing since they have a more uniform look
compared to the speckled blue color of polycrystalline silicon.
 Thin-Film Solar Cells (TFSC)
Depositing one or several thin
layers of photovoltaic material onto
a substrate is the basic gist of how
thin-film solar cells are
manufactured. They are also
known as thin-film photovoltaic
cells (TFPV). The different types of
thin-film solar cells can be
categorized by which photovoltaic
material is deposited onto the
substrate.
 Types of Thin-Film Solar Cells (TFSC)
• Amorphous silicon (a-Si)
• Cadmium telluride (CdTe)
• Copper indium gallium selenide (CIS/CIGS)
• Organic photovoltaic cells (OPC)
Depending on the technology, thin-film module
prototypes have reached efficiencies between 7–13%
and production modules operate at about 9%. Future
module efficiencies are expected to climb close to the
about 10–16%.
 Thin-Film Solar Cells (TFSC)
• Advantages
• Mass-production is simple. This makes them and potentially
cheaper to manufacture than crystalline-based solar cells.
• Their homogenous appearance makes them look more appealing.
• Can be made flexible, which opens up many new potential
applications.
• High temperatures and shading have less impact on solar panel
performance.
• In situations where space is not an issue, thin-film solar panels
can make sense.
 Thin-Film Solar Cells (TFSC)

• Disdvantages
• Thin-film solar panels are in general not very useful for in
most residential situations. They are cheap, but they also
require a lot of space. Sun Power`s mono crystalline solar
panels produce up to four times the amount of electricity as
thin-film solar panels for the same amount of space.
• Low space-efficiency also means that the costs of PV-
equipment (e.g. support structures and cables) will increase.
• Thin-film solar panels tend to degrade faster than mono-
and polycrystalline solar panels, which is why they typically
come with a shorter warranty.
• Solar panels based on amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride
and copper indium gallium selenide are currently thin-film
technologies that are commercially available on the market.
 SOLAR COMPONENTS

. SOLAR MODULE:- SPV Module is the basic building block of the SPV power
supply, which consists of a number of Solar Cells (a Semi Conductor Device
which when exposed to sun light produces DC electricity) connected in series
and hermetically sealed with a toughened and highly transparent front glass
cover. These modules are connected in series and parallel to get the desired
power and voltage.
SPV PANEL:- SPV Modules of same rating are connected in series to form a
SPV panel to get the desired voltage.
SPV ARRAY:- A number of panels are connected in parallel to get the desired
power. This whole combination is called an array. The SPV array is so
designed that, it provides the necessary battery charging current and
simultaneously meets the load demand, when sufficient sunshine is available.
 MANUFACTURER OF SOLAR
SR NO: NAME OF COMPANY PRODUCTION IN TYPE OF MODULE
MW
1 ADITI SOLAR 20 MONO&POLY
2 AJIT SOLAR 20 MONO&POLY
3 AKSHYA SOLAR 6 MONO&POLY
4 ALPEX SOLAR 60 MONO&POLY
5 BHEL 26 MONO&POLY
6 CEL 13 MONO
7 ECOSOL `10 MONO&POLY
8 EMPIRE PHOTOVOLTICS 60 MONO &POLY
9 GOLDI GREEN 100 MONO &POLY
`10 HBL POWER SYSTEM 25 MONO&POLY
11 KL SOLAR 12 POLY
12 KOTAK URJA 25 POLY
13 LUBI ELECTRONICS 20 POLY
14 REIL 2 MONO&POLY
 List of solar cell manufacturers

1. BHEL
2. Central Electronics Limited
3. Euromultivision
4. Indo solar
5. Moserbaer solar
6. PLG solar
7. Websol
8. Udhaya energy photo voltaics
9. Tata solar power
10. USL photovoltaic's limited
11. XL energy
Typical PV System Arrangement
Photovoltaic Panel Grid-tied
(Approx. 1 - 5kWP) inverter Meter 2: Solar Electricity
Generation

Meter 1: Conventional Transformer Grid

Electricity Consumption
 MODULE TILT ANGLES AND ORIENTATION

• To generate maximum energy, the modules should be tilted at an angle so

that sun hits it at a perpendicular angles all time.
• Optimum Orientation:-True south
• East Orientation:-Receives sunlight before noon
• West Orientation:-Receives sunlight afternoon
 Solar system (PV) calculation and
design.
• Solar panel (PV) is a device which can convert
energy from light energy (proton) to electrical
energy. Each panel is rated by its DC output
power.
• Solar panels are normally 12V DC output. In
large solar panel 24V or 48V DC output also
seen.
 SOLAR PV SYSTEM SIZING
1 Determine power consumption demand
▪ The first step in designing solar PV system is to find out the total power
and energy consumption of all loads that needs to be supplied by solar PV
systems as follows.
1.1 Calculate total watt hours per day for each appliance used
▪ Add the total watt-hours needed for all appliances together to get the
total watt hours per day which must be delivered to the appliances.
1.2 Calculate total watt-hours per day needed for PV Modules.
▪ Multiply the total appliances watt-hours per day 1.3 times(for energy lost
in the system)to get total watt-hours per day to be provided by panels.
 SOLAR PV SYSTEM SIZING
2 Size the PV Modules
▪ To find the size of PV modules the total watt-peak produced is needed. The Watt-
peak(Wp)produced depends on size of PV module and climate conditions of the site.
Different size of PV modules will produce different amount of power. To find out sizing
of PV modules total peak watt produced is needed. The watt-peak produced depends
on size of PV module and climate of site location. We have to consider panel generation
factor which is different in each site location.(we have consider it as 3.43)
2.1 Divide the total watt-hours per day needed from the PV modules as find by (1.2)by 3.43
to get the total watt-peak rating needed for PV panels needed to run the appliances.
2.2 Calculate the number of PV panels for the system.
▪ Divide the answer obtained in 2.1 by the rated output watt-peak of PV modules
available to you. Increase any fractional part of result to the next highest full number
and that will be the number of PV modules required.
▪ Note:-Result of PV panel is the minimum number of PV panels. If more PV modules are
installed, the system will perform better and battery life will be improved. If fewer PV
modules are used system may not work at all during cloudy periods and battery life will
be shortened.
 Inverter Sizing
▪ The input rating of the inverter should never be
lower than the total watt of appliance.
▪ The inverter must have the same nominal voltage as
your battery.
 Battery sizing
▪ The battery type recommended for solar PV is deep cycle
battery. Deep cycle battery is specifically designed to be
discharged to low energy level and rapid recharged or cycle
charged and discharged day after day for years.
▪ The battery should be large enough to store sufficient energy
to operate the appliances at night and cloudy days.
 Battery Sizing
Battery Capacity:
(Total watt-hours of Appliance)×(Days of
autonomy) /((Battery losses) ×(Depth of
Discharge) ×(Rated battery voltage))
 Depth of discharge
• At 50% depth of discharge the battery life is
expected to last 1150 cycles before the
capacity is reduced to 80% of orignal.(cycle
life).but at 20% DOD the battery could be
expected to last 3300 cycles.
 Days of Autonomy
• This is the number of days where no power
generation is possible due to clouds or rain,
despite the fact that you consume energy.
• For Exa two days of autonomy means your
batteries would be large enough to supply
continuous energy for two full days without
charging.
 Solar charge controller sizing
▪ The solar charge controller is typically rated against ampere and voltage
capacities. Select the solar charge controller to match the PV array and
batteries and then identify which type of solar charge controller is right for
your application. Make sure that solar charge controller has enough
capacity to handle the current from PV array.
▪ It regulates the voltage and current coming from the PV panels and going
into battery and prevents battery from overcharging and prolongs the
battery life.
▪ According to standard practice the sizing of solar charge controller is to
take short-circuit current(Isc) of the PV array and multiply it by 1.3.
Solar Charge controller rating=Total short circuit current of PV array×1.3
 Example of solar PV system sizing

A house has following appliances.

▪ One 18 watt fluorescent lamp with electronic ballast used 04
hours per day.
▪ One 60 watt fan used 02 hours per day
▪ One 75 watt refrigerator that runs 24 hours per day with
compressor run 12 hours and off 12 hours.
▪ The system will be powered 12 V dc ,110Wp PV module
 Example of solar PV system sizing

1 Determine power consumption demand

Total appliance use :
(18W×04 hours)+(60W×02 hours)+(75W×24 hours×0.5 hours)
=1092Wh/day.
Total Wh/day to be provided by PV panels(Considering 30% losses
in the system)
=1092×1.3=1419.6Wh per day
 Example of solar PV system sizing

2.1 Divide the total watt-hours per day needed from the PV
modules by 3.43 to get the total watt-peak rating needed for
the PV panels needed to operate the appliance.
=1419.6/3.4=413.9 watt peak(Wp)
2.2 Divide the answer obtained in 2.1 by the rated watt peak of
the PV modules available to you.
= 413.9/110=3.76 modules=04 modules
So the system should be powered by at least 110wp,04 modules
 Example of solar PV system sizing
Inverter sizing
Total watt of appliances=18+60+75=153 watt
For safety inverter should be chosen 25-30% bigger size
So Inverter size should be above 190watt or greater
 Example of PV system sizing

• Battery sizing
Battery capacity:-
((18W×04 hours)+(60W×02 hours)+(75W×12 hours)
×3)/(0.85×0.6×12)=535.29Amp-hours
So battery should be rated for 12 volt,600AH for 03 day
autonomy
 Example of PV system sizing

Solar Charge controller sizing

PV module specification
Pm=110Wp(Watt-peak)
Vm=16.7Vdc
Im=6.7Amp
Isc=7.5Amp
Solar charge controller rating=(04 strings×7.5amp)×1.3)=39 Amp
So the solar charge controller should be rated at 40amp and 12
volt or greater.
THANK YOU….