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2018 5th International Conference on Power and Energy Systems Engineering, CPESE 2018,
2018 5th International Conference on Power 2018,
19–21 September and Energy Systems
Nagoya, Japan Engineering, CPESE 2018,
19–21 September 2018, Nagoya, Japan
Modeling
ModelingTheof Energy
of15th
Energy Performance
Performance
International
of Stand-Alone
ofDistrict
Symposium on Stand-Alone SPV
Heating andSPV
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System
Cooling
Using HOMER
Using HOMER Pro Pro
Assessing the feasibility of using the heat demand-outdoor
M. K. Deshmukha,a, *, Athokpam Bharatbushan Singhaa
temperatureM.function
a
for a *,long-term
K. Deshmukh district heatSingh
Athokpam Bharatbushan demand forecast
Electrical and Electronics Enegineering, BITS Pilani, K. K. Birla Goa Campus, Zuarinagar, Goa, 403726, India
a
Electrical and Electronics Enegineering, BITS Pilani, K. K. Birla Goa Campus, Zuarinagar, Goa, 403726, India
I. Andrića,b,c*, A. Pinaa, P. Ferrãoa, J. Fournierb., B. Lacarrièrec, O. Le Correc
Abstract
a
Abstract
IN+ Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research - Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
b
Veolia Recherche & Innovation, 291 Avenue Dreyfous Daniel, 78520 Limay, France
Stand-alone csolar photovoltaic (SA-SPV) systems are attractive option for rural electrification programs in many countries.
Stand-alone Département
solar Systèmes Énergétiques et Environnement - IMT Atlantique, 4 rue electrification
Alfred Kastler, 44300 Nantes, France
These systems arephotovoltaic (SA-SPV)
invariably provided systems
with are energy
battery attractive option
storage for rural
(BES) for using stored programs
electricity induring
many nighttime.
countries.
These systems are invariably provided with battery energy storage (BES) for using
Availability of bi-directional power electronic converter promises to enhance application of these SA-SPV systems for stored electricity during nighttime.
Availability of bi-directional
generating, storing and feedingpower electronic
electricity to localconverter
micro-grids.promises
Further, to the
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can be maximized by
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at different to locallevels
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in the system. In the
the advantages
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such systems can
demonstrate usebeofmaximized
HOMER Pro by
Abstract energy losses at different sub-system levels in the system. In the present work, we demonstrate use of HOMER Pro
minimizing
simulation software for simulation of energy performance of SA-SPV (6.75 kWp) system installed in Renewable Energy Systems
simulation software
Laboratory for simulation
in our Institute, aiming of at energy performance
quantitative estimationof SA-SPV
of energy(6.75losses p) system
kWdue installedmode
to stand-alone in Renewable Energy
of operation. TheSystems
system
District
Laboratory heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective
is provided with battery energy storage (800 Ah) that is used for supplying electricity for night time street lighting onThe
in our Institute, aiming at quantitative estimation of energy losses due to stand-alone mode solutions
of for
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conditions
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of using accounts for energy
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The district of Alvalade, located in Lisbon (Portugal), was used as a case study. The district is consisted of 665
© buildings
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Published by Elsevier period
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© 2018
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The Authors.
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Published by Elsevier Ltd.
by Elsevier Ltd. intermediate,
renovation
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under the (shallow,
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-NDlicense
is CC BY-NC-ND deep). To estimate the error, obtained heat demand values were
license(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
This is an open
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under the CC
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Keywords: the error SPV valuesystem;
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Keywords:
The value Stand-alone
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decrease in the number of heating hours of 22-139h during the heating season (depending on the combination of weather and
renovation scenarios considered). On the other hand, function intercept increased for 7.8-12.7% per decade (depending on the
coupled scenarios). The values suggested could be used to modify the function parameters for the scenarios considered, and
improve the accuracy of heat demand estimations.

© 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

* Corresponding
Peer-review author.
under Tel.: +91-832-258-0316;
responsibility fax: +91-880-512-7080
of the Scientific Committee of The 15th International Symposium on District Heating and
* E-mail
Corresponding author.
address: Tel.: +91-832-258-0316;
mkd.goa@gmail.com; fax: +91-880-512-7080
bbsan2043@gmail.com
Cooling.
E-mail address: mkd.goa@gmail.com; bbsan2043@gmail.com
1876-6102
Keywords:©Heat2018demand;
The Authors. Published
Forecast; Climatebychange
Elsevier Ltd.
1876-6102 © 2018
This is an open Thearticle
access Authors. Published
under by Elsevier Ltd.
the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
This is an and
Selection openpeer-review
access article under
under the CC BY-NC-ND
responsibility license
of the 2018 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
5th International Conference on Power and Energy Systems Engineering, CPESE
Selection
2018, 19–21andSeptember
peer-review under
2018, responsibility
Nagoya, Japan. of the 2018 5th International Conference on Power and Energy Systems Engineering, CPESE
2018, 19–21 September 2018, Nagoya, Japan.
1876-6102 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
1876-6102 © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Peer-review under responsibility of the Scientific Committee of The 15th International Symposium on District Heating and Cooling.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the 2018 5th International Conference on Power and Energy Systems Engineering,
CPESE 2018, 19–21 September 2018, Nagoya, Japan.
10.1016/j.egypro.2018.11.100
 M.K. Deshmukh et al. / Energy Procedia 156 (2019) 90–94 91
M. K. Deshmukh et al. / Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

1. Introduction
Solar Photovoltaic systems can be used in stand-alone as well as grid tied mode, for achieving Renewable Energy
Obligation (RPO) targets. Whereas SA-SPV systems are useful for electrification of remotely located villages away
from conventional grids, the grid-tied SPV systems are useful for meeting RPO targets in rural as well as urban
areas. In recent times, bi-directional power converters have become widely available, which provide options for
upgrading already installed SA-SPV systems to grid-tied SPV systems. Grid tied SPV system, with bi-directional
converter, can yield benefits of both SA-SPV as well as grid-tied SPV systems. With increasing support from
Governments in terms of proactive policies and plans, there is great potential for business and market development
in favour of SPV systems. The availability of industry standard software tools for simulation of energy performance
of renewable energy systems enables simulation of SPV systems in conjunction with wind, small hydro and bio-
energy systems, for developing hybrid energy systems for implementation [1] – [3]. In India, the implementation of
renewable energy systems is spear-headed by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Govt. of India,
which in turn is supported by the State Nodal Agencies (SNAs) for implementation in respective states. The State
Governments are empowered to develop plans, policies and strategies for implementation of renewable energy
systems in respective states. Goa, is one of the smallest but progressive and eco-sensitive state in India, which has
recently adopted Goa State Solar Policy-2017, thereby legalizing sale of solar electricity to grid [4]. The State
Government encourages participation of small as well as large consumers to generate solar electricity and sale to
grid under ‘net-metering scheme’ or ‘gross-metering scheme’.
In the present work, we demonstrate use of HOMER Pro software for simulating performance of existing SA-
SPV system in grid-tied mode, using bi-directional converter, with the objective of estimating annual electricity
produced, which will be partly utilized for charging battery energy storage (BES) and feeding to single-phase micro-
grid.
2. HOMER Pro Software
The HOMER Pro, a micro-grid software by HOMER Energy, is the global standard for optimizing microgrid
design in all sectors, from village power and island utilities to grid-connected campuses and military bases.
Originally developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA, and enhanced and distributed by
HOMER Energy. HOMER (Hybrid Optimization Model for Multiple Energy Resources) nests three powerful tools
in one software product, so that engineering and economics work side by side. At its core, HOMER is a simulation
model. It will attempt to simulate a viable system for all possible combinations of the equipment under
consideration. HOMER simulates the operation of a hybrid micro-grid for a period of year, in time steps from one
minute to one hour.
3. System description
The SA-SPV system considered in the present work is a roof mounted SPV system (6.75 kW p) on the campus of
our institute, in the state of Goa, India. In stand-alone mode, a dedicated BES consisting of twenty-four Gel type
batteries (800 Ah) is used to store electricity produced. A unidirectional inverter (5 kW) is provided for converting
stored energy to AC for street lighting (3 kW) on campus during night time up to eleven hours per day [5].
3.1. Operation mode of SA-SPV System
The system is operated as stand-alone mode of operation. The energy generated by SPV arrays is stored in BES
through MPPT charge controllers. If the BES is fully charged, MPPT charge controller cuts off supply of power to
BES. In this mode, once the BES is fully charged during day, the excess electricity produced cannot be utilized as
there is no other equipment other than BES connected to it.
The system is provided with automatic timer which controls turning ON and OFF streetlights during night time.
Normally, the automatic timer is set to turn ON the streetlights at 7 P.M. and turn OFF at 6 A.M. During night time,
the energy is supplied from BES until battery voltage drops to its lower voltage cut-off level, i.e., 42 V. Thereafter,
the required energy is drawn from the grid. During day time, the MPPT charge controller cuts off charging current
to BES, when BES voltage reaches maximum voltage cut-off level, i.e., 56 V. Thus, the system effectively
maintains BES voltage between maximum and minimum cut-off voltage levels, set by the operator.
4. HOMER Pro simulation of SA-SPV system
92 M.K. Deshmukh et al. / Energy Procedia 156 (2019) 90–94
M. K. Deshmukh et al. / Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

The SA-SPV system is simulated with bi-directional converter in place of unidirectional converter, in HOMER
Pro simulation environment. The operation of the system is prioritized so as to charge the BES until it is fully
charged during day time, and then discharge during night time when the lights are turned ‘ON’, until BES voltage
drops to 42 V. In this mode of operation, once the BES is fully charged during day time, the electricity produced is
fed to the grid. Thus, the bi-directional inverter ensures daily charging, discharging and feeding electricity to grid,
thereby maximizing utilization of installed capacity of SA-SPV system. The schematic diagram of the SA-SPV
system with bi-directional converter simulated using HOMER Pro software is shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of SA-SPV system with bi-directional converter simulated using HOMER Pro software.
The technical data for the sub-systems used in simulation is shown in Table 1. The performance of the system is
simulated for period of one year.
Table 1. Technical data for sub-systems used in simulation
Component Parameters
PV Array 6.75 kWp, 15.4% Efficiency
MPPT charge controller 5 kW, 98% Efficiency
Bi-directional inverter 5 kW, 97% Efficiency
Battery bank 800 Ah, Gel type
Lighting load 3000 Watts
The daily average values of Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) and ambient temperature at the site for one full
year is taken from National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) database included in HOMER Pro software. The
load profile (3 kW) due to lighting load is assumed to be defined as “ON” time from 7 P.M. to 6 A.M. everyday.
The utility grid is assumed to be available throughout the year to support lighting load when battery is discharged to
cut-off voltage level.
5. Results and Discussion
The results of simulation of the SA-SPV system, include daily energy yield of PV array, energy fed to grid and
supplied to lighting load through bi-directional inverter and energy drawn from the utility grid for lighting load, for
a period of one year. The results obtained are discussed as follows:
5.1 Energy yield of PV array
As per the NREL data base, the site receives an annual average daily GHI of 4.96 kWh/day/m 2. The maximum
GHI is available during the month of April at an average of 6.55 kWh/day/m2, and minimum GHI occurs during the
month of July at an average of 4.70 kWh/day/m2. The monthly average daily solar radiation is relatively low during
months of June, July and August (Southwest monsoon season). Variation of ‘energy penetration’ of PV panels, i.e.,
SPV electricity produced per day, for a period of one year is shown in Fig. 2. It is seen that the ‘energy penetration’
due to SPV array varies from 1.3 kWh/m2/day to 4.80 kWh/m2/day, with annual gross energy yield of 11086 kWh.
For the system, the ratio of PV energy Generated to average load supplied’ is reported to be 92%, which confirms
that the site is highly recommended for the application of SPV system.
5.2 Operation of bi-directional converter

The bidirectional converter feeds power to utility grid during day time after BES is fully charged, and supplies
power to street lighting load during night time. The energy output profile of bi-directional converter during period of
one year is shown in Fig. 3. It is seen from Fig. 3 that the bi-directional converter provides power to utility grid on
 M.K. Deshmukh et al. / Energy Procedia 156 (2019) 90–94 93
M. K. Deshmukh et al. / Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

most of the days in the year, after BES is fully charged, except during monsoon season. Also, it is seen from Fig. 3
that the bi-directional inverter provides power to street lighting load on most days in a year, until the battery is
discharged to minimum cut-off voltage level. Thereafter, the utility grid supplies power to street lights, bye-passing
the inverter. It is seen that the BES reaches its lower cut-off voltage on most days between 1 A.M. to 2 A.M.

Fig. 2. Annual Energy Penetration of SPV array at the site

Fig. 3. The energy output profile of bi-directional converter during period of one year.

5.3 Energy drawn from utility grid

The utility grid supports power to load after BES reaches its lower cut-off voltage. The annual profile of energy
drawn from utility grid is shown in Fig. 4. It is seen that lighting load draws power from the utility grid mostly
during 1 A.M. to 6 A.M. This implies that the storage capacity is inadequate to supply power to lighting load per
day.

Fig. 4. Annual profile of energy drawn from utility grid.

5.4 Monthly average contribution of energy supplied from BES and Utility Grid
94 M.K. Deshmukh et al. / Energy Procedia 156 (2019) 90–94
M. K. Deshmukh et al. / Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

It should be noted that the total energy drawn by the load is sum of energy drawn from BES and the utility grid.
Fig. 5 shows month-wise contribution by BES and Utility Grid in power supplied to lighting load throughout the
year. The HOMER Pro reported that the energy supplied by BES accounted for 62.52% and the utility grid
accounted for 37.49% of the total energy drawn by the load in a year.

Fig. 5. Monthly average contribution energy system from battery and grid for the period of one year

5.5 Month-wise total energy fed to grid and drawn from grid
Table 2 shows total monthly energy fed to the grid and drawn from the grid. It is seen that the total energy fed to
the grid is 4538 kWh and the total energy drawn from the grid is 2111 kWh, during the period of one year. It is seen
that during monsoon months, the energy fed to the grid is lower and the energy drawn from the grid is higher than in
remaining months. Also, it is seen that the energy fed to grid is highest during the month of March and lowest
during the month of July and the energy drawn from the utility grid is highest during month of July and lowest
during month of March. It should be noted that up-gradation of the existing SA-SPV system to bi-directional SA-
SPV system amounts to feeding 4538 units of electricity to utility grid.
Table 2. Total month-wise energy fed to grid and drawn from the grid
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total
Energy fed to grid
451 463 525 456 365 228 221 255 328 393 407 443 4538
(kWh)
Energy drawn from
88 18 19 66 183 343 368 365 257 163 130 111 2111
Grid (kWh)

6. Conclusions
HOMER Pro simulation software is used to simulate energy performance of SA-SPV system using bi-directional
inverter for a period of one year. The simulation results show that the ratio of ‘average power output of the PV array
to the average load’ for the system is 92% at the site, therefore the site is highly appropriate for application of SPV
system for power generation.. Results of simulation show that there is definite scope for enhancing energy
performance of the existing SA-SPV system by incorporating bi-directional inverter. Also, there is scope for
increasing BES capacity. The up-gradation of the existing SA-SPV system to bi-directional grid-tied SA-SPV
system, will enable reaping benefits of Government’s feed-in tariff policy in force.
Acknowledgements
Authors gratefully acknowledge financial and technical support received from BITS, Pilani K K Birla Goa
Campus for successful completion of the project.
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