Design of 1 MWp solar PV power plant

Given parameters:
Module specification: Inverter ratings:
Power=240Wp max. DC current=2100A DC
Voc=37.0V MPP tracking =460-875 V DC
Vmp.=30.6V Ac power o/p=1000000KVA
Isc.=8.45A efficiency=95%
Imp.=7.8A
 Step#1. fixing size or capacity of power plant

• First step is to fix the size of power plant. Typical ratings of

these plants are 1MWp, 2MWp, or 5MWp. The capacity of
the plant is normally multiple of 1MWp.

Grid

Temp.+dust losses DC cable losses AC cable losses

PV power plant
inverter
array

inverter losses

Arrangement of large capacity PV power plant with losses

Step#2 average daily solar radiation& equivalent sunshine
hours
• It is required to get daily solar radiation data of a
location where PV power plant is to be installed. The
solar radiation for a given location is expressed in
KWh/m2/day.
• Normally in Pakistan, daily solar radiation varies
between 4.7 to 7 KWh/m2/day.
• In order to collect more solar radiations, solar PV
arrays are installed as tilted facing south, rather than
horizontal.
• We consider
Month the month
Radiati Radiati ofEquival
Jan. for
Nocalculations.
of Monthly
on on on on ent days radiatio
horizon tilted daily n on PV
tal array sunshin array
plane e hours
Kwh/m2 KWh/m h Kwh/m2
/day 2/day /month
Jan. 4.95 5.50 5.50 31 171
 Step#2 Equivalent sunshine hours
• For the site under consideration the average daily
solar radiation on the plane of Pv array is 5.50
KWh/m2/day.
• Daily solar radiation=5.5 KWh/m2/day
= 5.5KW× h/m2.day
= 5.5h/day × 1KW/m2
= Equivalent daily sunshine
hours × STC power
density
• Thus in this case equivalent sunshine hours are
5.5h/day. And monthly equivalent sunshine hour per
day are
• = 31× 5.5= 170.5 h/month=170.5 hours/day
Step# 3.Estimating energy production over a given
day
Monthly energy production=Pv plant capacity× average sunshine
hours× number
of days in a month.
= 1MWp × 5.5 hrs× 31
= 170500000 W-h
= 170500 Kw-h
Step # 4 Consider losses in the system:
• The average electricity produced in above step is 170500 KW-
h/month. This electricity production is for ideal condition given by
the STC where the module/cell temperature is 25c.
• In practice, due to non-ideal conditions, several losses occur at the
• Pv module. These are;
• 1) module temperature loss
• 2) module mismatch losses
• 3) DC cable loss
• 4) solar radiation losses
• 5) module soiling losses due to dust
 Step# 4 System losses

1) Temperature Losses:
••  Loss of power due to temperature is given by the
temperature coefficient of power.
• For crystalline silicon module=0.45%/
• For thin film module= 0.2%/ to 0.3%/
• It should be noted that the cells in the PV module are
at 20C to 25C higher than ambient/air temperature.
• Let for this site the ambient temperature is 35C.
• Then T,cell=35+20=55C
• Then %age of power loss =(55C-25C )0.45%
• = 30×0.45%
• = 13.5%
 System losses

2) Module Soiling loss:

• It is loss due to dust settlement on PV module which
hinders the solar radiation.
• Normally it is 1% to 2%. Let in this case it is 1.5%
3) Module Mismatch loss:
• Let it be 1.5%.
4) DC cable loss:
Let it is 1.2%
5) Solar radiation loss:
It should be in the range from 2% to 4%. Let it is to be
2.5%
Then total module
losses=13.5+1.5+1.5+1.2+2.5=20.2%
 Step#5 energy generation potential after module
losses
• Energy generated after consider module losses= ideal energy
generated without loses × (1-PV module losses)
• =170500KWh× (1-20.2/100)
• = 170500 Kwh (0.798)
• = 136059 Kwh( in the month of Jan.)
Step#6 Available energy at the output of the inverter?
• Functions of an inverter are
• 1) it converts DC power to AC power
• 2) Max. power point tracking(MPPT)
• Power loss in inverter are 1.5% to 3%. Let it be 2%.
• The energy at the input of inverter= 136059Kwh
• The energy at the output of the inverter=energy at the input
of inverter
• × (1- losses at
inverter)
 Step#6 available energy at the output of the
inverter
energy at the inverter o/p=136059KWh×(1-2/100)
=133337.8 Kwh
Step# 7 Energy fed into the grid:
• The loss in the AC cable is usually less than 1%. Take
this value 0.5%
• Energy fed into the grid=energy at the output of the
inverter×
• (1- AC cable loss)
• = 133337.8KWh (1-0.5/100)
• =132671.1 KWh
• The energy fed by the 1MWp solar PV power plant to
the grid is 132671.1 KW.
 Step#8 number of modules and strings

• Number of modules in the string=Vmp of the selected

inverter /Vmp of the selected module.
• Since inverter Vmp tracking range is 460V-875V.
• Let us take the average of this=667V which is the Vmp of PV
module string.
• No of 240Wp modules in the string =667/30.6=21.79=22
modules per string are connected in series..
• Total number of modules for the whole PV system=total PV
power plant
• capacity/ rated power of one module
• = 1000000/240=4166.67=4167 modules
• And one string has 22 modules.
• No of strings connected in parallel =total no of pv modules
in system/no of modules in a string
• = 4167/22=189.4=190 parallel strings.
 Strings, modules and arrays for Pv system
• Total current of strings in parallel=current of one string×
total number of strings
• =8.45×190=1605.5 A
• Which is less than max. DC current of inverter
(2100A).therefore this design is acceptable.
Power rating of selected PV 240Wp
Design parameters:
module
No of PV modules in a string 22
No of strings in parallel 190
Total number of modules used 22×190=4180
in PV plant
Total rated peak power of Pv 4180×240=1003200Wp
power plant
Vmp voltage of PV array 22× 30.6= 673.2V
Imp current of Pv array 190× 7.85= 1491.5A
Expected monthly energy 132666 KWh/month
generation of the plant