Stand-Alone PV System

Sizing
T1/T2 Training

Slide
1
Learning Objectives

Identify the key steps involved in designing a stand-

1 alone PV system

2 Define the critical design month

3 Describe the factors that affect battery sizing

Perform the sizing calculation for PV array and battery in

4 a small system as per the supplied manual worksheets

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End User Consultation & Energy Efficiency
 The sizing of a stand-alone PV system is a
critical balance between energy supply
and energy use
 The first step in performing system sizing
is to go onsite and determine the end
user’s energy requirements
 The technician must try and satisfy the
end user’s requirements with efficient
appliances PV Array Losses &
Energy Loads
 Technician should also coach the end user
on the importance of good energy usage
behavior (E.g., turning appliances off
when not in use)
Slide
Source: Adapted from Jim Dunlop Solar
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Energy Efficient Loads: Examples
Equipment High-Efficiency Model Standard-Efficiency Model

Computer 20 – 40 Watts (laptop 40 – 80 Watts (desktop

computer) computer without monitor)

Computer Monitor 30 Watts (15” LCD 65- 120 Watts (15 – 21” CRT
monitor) monitor)
Electric Lamp 15 Watts (Compact 60 Watts (incandescent with
fluorescent or CFL) comparable light output)
Fridge/Freezer 100 – 800 Wh/day 1,800 – 2,500 Wh/day

Television 37 Watts (32” LCD) 120 Watts (30” CRT)

 Inefficient loads consume more energy. This increases PV system size

and the system cost. Reducing energy usage reduces PV system cost.

Source: ARE, 2011; USAID

Slide 4
More Energy Saving Tips
 Advise your customers to choose appliances
with a higher star rating
 Choose LED or CFL lights instead of energy
hungry incandescent lights
 Reducing the time that appliances are used
is another way to reduce energy usage.
 Some tips include timer switches, using low
power security lights and ensuring that
children sleep with lights off
 Talk to your customers about other ways
they can reduce their energy usage in the
home
Slide
Source: http://www.livinggreener.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0019/62470/energy-label-6-star-fridge.jpg
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Steps Involved in PV System Sizing

 Sizing stand-alone PV systems begins with

determining the electrical load

 Then sizing the battery to supply required

energy to the load

 Then sizing the PV array to charge the

batteries all year-round

Slide
Source: Adapted from Jim Dunlop Solar
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Step 1: Determine Daily Energy Consumption
 Off-grid load analysis begins with an inventory of all energy
consuming devices
 Power(W) rating is determined for each device and usage time (h)
is estimated
 Energy consumption is calculated: Energy (Wh) = Power(W) x
Time(h)
 If usage significantly varies monthly, load analysis must be
conducted for each month
 DC and AC loads are to be listed separately as AC loads go through
the inverter and need to account for inverter losses and DC loads
must be accounted for cable losses
 The steps for conducting a typical audit are demonstrated on the
tables in the following slides Slide
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Step 1 Example: Daily Energy Consumption

Load Description Number Wattage Total Daily Run DC Energy AC Energy Usage
of Items (W) Wattage Time Usage (Watt-
(Hours) Hour)
LED lights (Bedrooms) 3 6 18 3 3 x 6 x 3 = 54 0

LED lights (Bathroom) 1 6 6 1 1x6x1=6 0

LED lights (Living Area) 2 6 12 5 2 x 6 x 5 = 60 0

LED lights (Kitchen) 2 6 12 2 2 x 6 x 2 = 24 0

Radio (AC) 1 30 30 5 0 1 x 30 x 5 = 150
Television (AC) 1 60 60 5 0 1 x 60 x 5 = 300
Laptop Charger 1 40 40 4 1 x 40 x 4 = 120
Mobile Phone Chargers 3 2 6 3 3 x 2 x 3 = 18
Total 184 54 + 6 + 60 + 24 150 + 300 + 120 + 18

Total 144 588

Note: In this example, we assume that energy usage is constant all year-round
Slide
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Step 1 Example: Daily Energy Consumption
DC Load Adjusted for Wiring Loss of 5% = 144/0.95

DC Load Adjusted for Wiring 152

DC AC

Total Design Load 152 588

Buffer for Growth (10%) 167 647

Inverter Efficiency (90%) AC-DC Load 647/0.9

719

Final Design Load (Whs) 719+167

Final Design Load (Whs)
886

Note: We include a small buffer for growth in the load of 10% when doing this
calculation. This gives the system some protection. We also adjust the DC load for
cabling losses and the AC load for inverter efficiency. Slide
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Step 2: Determine Critical Design Month
 This step evaluates the month with the worst sun light to energy-use ratio.
 By designing the system to meet the requirements of the ‘worst’ month, it will
be able to deliver energy requirements year-round.
 Use a worksheet to list the daily energy loads for each month, and divide the loads by
the available solar insolation for different tilt angles
 The critical design month is the month with the highest ratio of load to solar
insolation.
 The best tilt angle is the one with the highest PSH value in the worst month

Slide Source: NREL

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Step 2: Determine Critical Design Month Cont’d

 For constant loads during the year, the lowest irradiation month is
the design month
 Since lowest irradiation usually falls in winter when the sun is
lower in the sky, the best tilt angle for constant loads is Latitude
+ 15° as this angle is pointed more directly at the lower-sun
 Example: Rarotonga, Cook Islands - 21° 12′ South, 159° 46′ West

Tilt (°) Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Latitude - 15° 6.33 6.01 5.80 4.74 4.08 3.69 3.86 4.66 5.23 5.86 6.52 6.59
(6°)
Latitude 5.90 5.82 5.86 5.04 4.56 4.20 4.35 5.07 5.39 5.74 6.11 6.51
(21°)
Latitude + 5.19 5.34 5.62 5.08 4.80 4.49 4.60 5.22 5.27 5.35 5.41 6.11
15°
(36°)
http://voctec.asu.edu Slide
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Step 2 Example: Critical Design Month
PSH at Tilt of 5 Deg PSH at Tilt of 21 Deg PSH at Tilt of 36 Deg
Design
 Location is Rarotonga, Month Load
(Latitude -15 deg) (Latitude) (Latitude +15 deg)
Insolation Insolation Design Insolation Design
Cook Islands - 21° 12′ (Whs)
(PSH/day)
Design Ratio
(PSH/day) Ratio (PSH/day) Ratio
South, 159° 46′ West January 886 6.33 140 5.9 150 5.19 171
(PSH data taken from) February 886 6.01 147 5.82 152 5.34 166
http://eosweb.larc.nas March 886 5.8 153 5.86 151 5.62 158
a.gov/sse/. April 886 4.74 187 5.04 176 5.08 174
May 886 4.08 217 4.56 194 4.8 185
 Load is constant June 886 3.69 240 4.2 211 4.49 197
throughout year July 886 3.86 230 4.35 204 4.6 193
August 886 4.66 190 5.07 175 5.22 170
 Worst Month is June September 886 5.23 169 5.39 164 5.27 168
October 886 5.86 151 5.74 154 5.35 166
 Optimal Tilt is 36
November 886 6.52 136 6.11 145 5.41 164
Degrees as this tilt
December 886 6.59 134 6.51 136 6.11 145
gives the best Average 5.28 5.38 5.21
sunshine in the worst Design Month June
month Design Tilt 36 Deg North
Average Consumption 886 Wh/Day
Solar Insolation 4.49 PSH/Day Slide
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Step 3: Battery Sizing - Influencing Factors
 Batteries store energy generated by the solar array and deliver energy to supply
the load (light, TV, etc)
 Batteries are specified in Voltage and Amp-hour capacity
 Total amount of rated battery capacity requirements are based on:

 Desired days of storage (also known as days of autonomy)

 Maximum allowable depth-of-discharge (DOD)
 System losses and efficiencies

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Step 3: Battery Sizing – Days of Autonomy
 Days of Autonomy is the number of days that a
fully charged battery bank can meet the
system loads without any recharge from the PV
array
 Greater autonomy periods increase the size of
the battery bank and the amount of energy
storage.
 5 days of Autonomy is recommended for the
Pacific as this provides decent protection from
periods of extended cloudy weather

Slide
Source: Adapted from Jim Dunlop Solar
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Step 3: Battery Sizing – Depth-of-Discharge (DOD)
 The Depth of Discharge is the maximum level that the system is able to
discharge the batteries. It is controlled by the Cut Off Voltage (LVD),
which is set by the charge controller.
 Depth of discharge should not
be lower than 75%. It is
commonly between 50% and
75%.
 The LVD for 50% is 12-12.1V.
The LVD for 75% is 11.7-
11.5V for a 12V battery bank.
 Greater allowable DOD
provides greater system
availability, but at the expense
of battery health
Slide
Source: Adapted from Jim Dunlop Solar
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Step 3: Battery Sizing – System Voltage, Current & Power Loss

 The final consideration when sizing batteries is selecting the

system voltage. System voltage determines the number of
batteries that are connected together in series to form the
battery bank
 Smaller stand-alone systems used for residential and small off-grid
applications typically use 12 V or 24 V
 The higher the system voltage, the lower the current & the power
loss. So higher DC voltages are used for systems with higher power
loads to reduce the system currents

Slide Source: SEIAPI

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Step 3 Example: Battery Sizing
 Load of 886 Wh corresponds to DC System Voltage of 12 V
 Chosen days of autonomy: 5 days
 886 Wh X 5 days = 4430 Wh.
 At System Voltage of 12 V, the Ah is 4430Wh 12 V = 369Ah
 Maximum DOD of battery bank is 75%
 Final Ah of battery is 369 Ah 0.75 = 492 Ah
 (Note: This value is worst-case DOD for days of autonomy NOT daily DOD)
 The next step is to select batteries from suppliers to meet the requirements.
 Final Battery Bank:
 Selected battery is a 6V Gel Battery, 500 Ah
 Battery bank is comprised of 2 Batteries wired in Series

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Step 4: Sizing the PV Array
 The PV array for stand-alone
systems is sized to meet the daily
load during the critical design
month.
 To do this, the final sizing must
account for losses due to soiling,
charge controller and battery
charging efficiency and higher
operating temperatures.
 The system voltage determines
the number of series-connected
modules required per source
circuit
Slide Source: Randy Dunton
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Step 4 Example: PV Array Losses
 Losses such as cattery charging,
PV panel manufacturer’s
tolerance and charge controller Losses from PV Array Typical Range (%)
efficiency can be read from the Battery Charging
equipment technical sheets Efficiency 85% 80-90

 Soiling losses vary depending on Soiling Factor 95% 90-98

the tilt angle, cleaning regime Temperature Derating
(Pacific) 85% 85
and general dustiness of the
installation site Cable Losses 97% 95-99

 Cable losses can be calculated Charge Controller Losses 95% 93-97

based on cable distances and Tolerance of Solar Panels 95% 95-105
thickness
Final Derating Factor 0.60 0.55-0.75
 Losses are multiplied together
to arrive at a final derating factor
Slide Source: Table adapted from SEIAPI
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Step 4 Example: PV Array Calculations
DC Energy Consumption in Worst Month 886 Wh/day
Final Derating Factor (as per previous 0.60
slide)
Critical Design Month Insolation (PSH) 4.5 PSH/Day
Design Load/Derating
Required Power Rating of Array Factor/PSH
Required Power Rating of Array = 328 Watts
Battery Charge Equalisation 1.1
PV Array Sizing 361 Watts

 In the table above, the energy load is divided by the derating factor and
divided again by the PSH.
 The resulting power rating is multiplied again by 1.1 to ensure that power
generated by PV array is enough to provide boost charging to the batteries
to ensure they stay fully charged Slide
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Step 4 Example: PV Array Selection
 The PV Array Sizing Calculation is 361 Watts
 We have a system voltage of 12 Volts, which means our PV
array must use 12 volt ‘nominal’ solar panels.12 Volt
‘nominal’ solar panels have a maximum power voltage of btw
17-18V and an open circuit voltage of around 21V.
 So we have to choose 12 Volt panels that we can wire
together to equal 361 Watts. This could be 4 X 90-100W
modules or 2 X 180-200W modules wired in parallel.
 Having bigger panels provides even greater protection to the
batteries from overdischarge

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Final Step: Sizing Controllers and Inverters

 Selecting charge controllers is based on:

 Short-circuit current of PV modules
 Nominal system DC voltage (battery)
 Additional features (battery charger, etc.)
 Selecting inverters is based on:
 AC output voltage
 Peak AC power required for cumulative load
 Surge current requirements, if any
Note: Ensure that voltage input from PV array is within voltage window of charge controller, e.g. 12/24V,
after correcting for PV array voltage losses due to module temperature.
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Final Step Example: Sizing Controllers
 Charge Controller
 Short-circuit current of PV
module: 7.89A
CONTROLLER SIZING
 Number of PV modules in
① Short-Circuit Current of PV Module 5.38 A
parallel: 2
② Number of PV Modules in Parallel 2
 Safety factor: 1.25 ③ Charge Controller Minimum Power Current
13.5 A
= 1.25 x ① x ②
 Inverter
④ Total AC Power of AC Appliances 63 W
 Power of all AC appliances: ⑤ Inverter Minimum Power
78.8 W
63W = 1.25 x ④

 Safety factor: 1.25

Note: The safety factor of 1.25 is applied due to the fact that most components are not rated to work
beyond a few hours of continuous operation, by adding a safety factor it is then rated to work all day.
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Component Selection for Sustainability

 90% of the probability of success is

determined at the time at the time of
the procurement of components

 If good components were

always procured, the project
is almost successful
 If poor components have
procured, the project
already failed

Slide Source: JICA

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Practice
 Identify the steps involved in sizing a stand-alone PV
system.
1. Determine average daily electrical load for each month
2. Determine load and insolation for critical design month
3. Size the battery to meet the load for the desired days of
autonomy
4. Size the PV array to meet the loads for the critical design
month
 What is the critical design month? How is it determined?
 The critical design month is the month with the highest ratio
of average daily load to solar insolation
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Practice Cont’d
 What causes battery sulfation? How can it be avoided?
 Cause: Frequent deep discharges or partial state of charge
 Solution: Make sure that the battery is properly sized for the
system
 Identify the major steps involved in designing a stand-alone
PV system
1. Load estimation
2. Critical design month determination
3. Battery sizing
4. PV array sizing
5. Controller and inverter sizing
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Summary – Key Points
 Sizing involves 4 steps: (1) determine average daily electrical
load for each month, (2) determine load and insolation for
critical design month, (3) size battery to meet load for
desired days of autonomy, and (4) size PV array to meet load
for critical design month
 A critical design analysis evaluates the ratio of the average
daily load energy requirements and available solar isolation
for each month
 The higher the system voltage the lower the current and the
power loss
 Oversized batteries suffer from sulfation as they don’t
quickly get fully charged after the autonomy discharge
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