This paper presents a detailed design of a photovoltaic (PV) system for use in the rural electrification of

remote settlements that are far off from the electricity grid. Since investment in building transmission lines
from the grid to these localities is not viable, a good solution is an installation in these areas of standalone
photovoltaic systems. The design process comprises the choice and dimensioning of the solar panels, the
battery storage, DC-AC inverter, and mini transmission grid to the different homes. The design is for a 15 kW
PV system including an economic evaluation and analysis using Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy
Resources (HOMER) software. Data on the average monthly solar radiation and temperature were obtained
from various sources, including, Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS) for Africa. From this
data the study area receives a monthly average solar insolation of 6.16 kWh/m 2/day with the worst month
being August with 5.22 kWh/m 2/day. The total daily electrical energy consumption is estimated to be about
72.525 kWh. Simulation results using HOMER software shows that the overall capital cost of the PV system
components is $122,337, a replacement cost of $12,889 and an operation and maintenance cost of $29,946
over 10years. A financial analysis of the system showed that the design was both viable and sustainable with
low maintenance cost.