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Designing a solar off-grid system for a small residential house. Considering the energy demand,
available solar resources, and the components needed to meet that demand.
1. SCHEDULE OF LOADS
The daily energy consumption of our small residential house in Tuburan is estimated to be 4916
watt-hours (Wh). This calculation includes the usage patterns of various appliances such as lighting,
cooling, entertainment, refrigeration, and device charging. The data provides a typical energy usage
profile for a small household in Tuburan.
2. SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM AND DESIGN CALCULATIONS
A. Battery
If we require more than 3,000 watts, then we might even need a 51.2V system. The reason we want
to raise the voltage for higher wattages is that it decreases the current that will flow through your
system. Higher amperage systems cost more because you need to find heavy-duty parts that can
handle the high current. They also generate more heat and can be dangerous to work with.
51.2V100Ah LiFePO4 cells for greater safety and longer battery cycle
life, up to 6000+ cycles at 80% DOD. Built-in smart BMS integrates
multilevel safety features including overcharge protection, over-
discharge protection, over current protection, temperature
protection, balancing function and floating charge function.
To calculate the energy stored in a battery, you can use the formula:
This means that the battery will store 5120 watt-hours of energy. This calculation is crucial for
determining the capacity of the battery needed to meet the energy demands of a solar off-grid system
for a small residential house.
Depth of Discharge
The Depth of Discharge (DoD) represents the portion of a battery's total capacity that can be utilized
before recharging is necessary. Typically, lithium and Ni-Cd batteries have a DoD of approximately
80%.
Therefore, the usable energy from one battery is 4096 watt-hours. To meet the daily energy demand
of 4916Wh, you would require two lithium batteries, providing a total of 8192 watt-hours. This extra
capacity ensures that the system can handle peak power usage and worst-case scenarios while still
meeting the daily energy demand
Days of Autonomy
We also have to remember that the sun may not shine every day. We’re not always guaranteed to
have ideal weather conditions for charging our battery bank. So we want to have several days of
autonomy to keep us going when it’s cloudy.
Let’s say we want three days of autonomy, and two lithium batteries that gives us 7680 watts
Total Required Battery Capacity = Daily Consumption * Autonomy Days
Total Required Battery Capacity = 4816 * 3 = 14448 watts
The total required battery capacity, considering a three-day autonomy period, amounts to 14448
watt-hours based on a daily consumption of 4816 watt-hours.
4 batteries with DoD of 80% would give us 16384 watts, which is more than enough power to carry
us through three days of bad weather or for worst case scenario.
B. INVERTER
Inverter convert the direct current (DC) electricity produced by solar panels into alternating current
(AC) electricity, facilitating the powering of household appliances and potential grid connection.
C. Solar Module
Philippines is among the countries with remarkable potential in solar energy. The solar off-grid PV
system of the interest area (Latitude 12.41° N, Longitude 121.98° E) that located in Odiongan,
Romblon, Philippines is simulated with average solar radiation per year equal to 5.26 kWh/m2 /day.
Assuming that the solar panels will be placed on the roof with a possible inclination corresponding to
the latitude of the selected area.
Number of Panels Required= Battery Bank Capacity (W)/Daily Sunlight Hours×Panel Rating (W)
Given that the battery bank capacity is 15,360 watts, and assuming 5 hours of full sunlight daily and
1000-watt solar panels:
Number of Panels Required=15,360 W/ 5 hours per day×1000 W per panel
Number of Panels Required≈3.072
So about three 1000 watt solar panels should be able to fully charge our battery bank over the
course of the day. Of course, we want to leave room for inefficiencies and changes in the weather,
so we’re going to install four solar panels just to be safe.
Since we have 48V batteries, we also want 48 V solar panels. The amp output of a 48V, 1000-watt
solar panel will be 20.83A.
POWLSOJX 100A 48V PWM Solar Charge Controllers with Multi-Protection & LCD Display & 5V USB
Output Solar Panel Charger with Temp Sensor (12/24V/48V 100A)
F. Conduit
The most common conduit used in the installation of solar panel systems for small residential houses
is typically non-metallic (PVC) conduit. Non-metallic conduit provides protection for electrical wiring
and cables while also complying with building codes and regulations.
G. Protection devices
Circuit Breaker: "MidNite Solar MNEDC-30" - This is a 30A, 150V DC-rated circuit breaker
commonly used in solar panel systems.
Grounding Rod: "Erico Copper-Bonded Ground Rod" - An 8-foot long, 5/8-inch diameter
copper-bonded steel grounding rod.
Grounding Clamp: "Thomas & Betts Blackburn GRB Series Ground Rod Clamp" - Suitable for
use with 5/8-inch grounding rods.
Grounding Conductor: "Southwire 6 AWG Stranded Copper Grounding Wire" - Suitable for
grounding applications in solar panel systems.