6/8/2013

Sizing of Off-Grid PV Systems

Charge Controller

Inverter

=
PV

=
=

Loads

~
Battery

Firas Alawneh

Outline

Site Visit:

Draw site layout (coordinates, directions and dimensions).

Check where to place PV array, batteries, charge controller and inverter.
Perform shading analysis to check monthly and annual solar access.
Count the loads (power and energy/electricity consumption).

Solar Radiation at Site:

Get monthly averages of daily solar radiation sums (kWh/m2/day) from
available local and/or international data sources.

Calculate Average Peak Sun Hours (PSH) for each month.

Determine design PSH

Start Sizing System Components:

PV Array Sizing
Battery Sizing
Solar Charge Controller Sizing
Inverter Sizing

Exercise
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Draw site layout (coordinates, directions and dimensions).

Check where to place PV array, batteries, charge controller and inverter.

North

PV Array

South

Compass

Magnetic Declination
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Perform shading analysis to check monthly and annual solar access

Solar Pathfinder

Solmetric SunEye

Count the loads (power and energy/electricity consumption).

No.
1
2
3
4
5

Power Qty. Sub-total Power

(W)
(W)
Lamp
20
5
100
TV
80
1
80
Receiver
30
1
30
Fridge
200
1
200
Computer 100
2
200
Load

Total Power (W)

610

Use Hours
(h/day)
8
10
10
16
8

Energy Consumption
(kWh/day)

Total Energy Consumption (kWh/day)

6.7

0.8
0.8
0.3
3.2
1.6

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Solar Radiation at Site

Solar insolation (kWh/m2) varies from one day to another during the year.
What is the design solar insolation month? Insolation at latitude tilt 15
Note: insolation = input solar radiation = daily solar radiation sums

PVGIS Data
Latitude = 32

Monthly Averages of Daily Solar Radiation Sums (Wh) at Different

Tilt Angles South Facing Amman/Jordan

PVGIS Data

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Peak Sun Hours

Peak Sun Hours (PSH) = PV module generation factor during the day.
Usually select the worst case month (lowest solar radiation month)

PV System Block Diagram

= 90%

Charge Controller

Inverter

=
=

PV

Loads

= 90%

Battery

= 80%
DOD = 75%

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Solar PV System Sizing Procedure

1. Determine power consumption demands: The first step in designing a solar
PV system is to find out the total power and energy consumption of all loads that
need to be supplied by the solar PV system as follows:
- Calculate total Watt-hours per day for each appliance used: Add the Watthours needed for all appliances together to get the total Watt-hours per day
which must be delivered to the appliances.

W x h = Wh
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Solar PV system sizing Procedure

2. Inverter sizing: An inverter is used in the system where AC power output is
needed. The output rating of the inverter should never be lower than the total watt
of appliances. The inverters input voltage must have the same nominal voltage
as the battery bank.

Assumptions that are needed :

1.Inverter efficiency: It is a percentage that is less than one which is
considered according to the loss inside the electronics components of the
inverter.
2. Safety factor: For stand-alone systems, the inverter must be large enough
to handle the total amount of Watts you will be using at one time. The inverter
size should be 25-30% bigger than total Watts of appliances. In case of
appliance type is motor or compressor, then the inverter should be capable to
handle the surge current during starting.

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Solar PV system sizing Procedure

2. Battery sizing: The battery type recommended for using in solar PV system is
deep cycle battery. Deep cycle battery is specifically designed to be discharged to low
energy levels and rapidly recharged (cyclic charging and discharging day after day for
years). The battery should be large enough to store sufficient energy to operate the
appliances at night and cloudy days. To find out the size of battery bank, calculate as
follows:
2.1 Calculate total Watt-hours per day used by appliances.
2.2 Divide the answer obtained in item 2.1 by the inverter efficiency (Inv.Eff)
2.3 Divide the answer obtained in item 2.2 by the Depth of Discharge (DOD).
2.4 Divide the answer obtained in item 2.3 by the nominal battery voltage.
2.5 Multiply the answer obtained in item 2.4 by days of autonomy (the number of
days that you need the system to operate when there is no power produced by PV
panels) to get the required Ampere-hour capacity of deep-cycle battery.
Battery Capacity (Ah) = Total Watt-hours per day used by appliances x Days of autonomy
(Inv.Eff x DOD x nominal battery voltage)

13

Solar PV system sizing Procedure

3. PV modules Sizing : The peak watts (Wp) needed depends on size of the PV module and
climate of site location. The climate of site location is represented by Peak Sun Hours (PSH)
which is selected according to the location and application. For Amman, the month with the
lowest PSH is December with 3.9h/day at 32 tilt angle (optimum latitude tilt). To determine the
sizing of PV modules, calculate as follows:
3.1 Divide the Wh at the inverter DC side on both the Battery efficiency (Bat. Eff.) and the
charge controller efficiency (cc.eff).
3.2 Calculate the total Watt-peak rating needed for PV modules: Divide the total Watt-hours
per day needed from the PV modules by PSH to find the total peak power of the PV array.
3.3 Multiply the calculated watt peaks by a specific safety factor (e.g. Safety Factor = 1.2)
to compensate the degradation in the power of the PV modules over years.
3.4 Calculate the number of PV panels for the system: Divide the answer obtained
in item 3.2 by the rated output Watt-peak of the selected PV module.

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Solar PV system sizing Procedure

5. Solar charge controller sizing: The solar charge controller is typically rated
for Amperage and Voltage capacities. Select the solar charge controller to match
the voltage of PV array and batteries and then identify which type of solar charge
controller is the right for your application. Make sure that solar charge controller
has enough capacity to handle the maximum current of PV array.

The sizing of controller depends on the total PV output current which is

delivered to the controller and also depends on PV panel configuration (series
or parallel configuration).
According to a common practice, the sizing of solar charge controller is to
take the short circuit current (Isc) of the PV array, and multiply it by 1.2
Solar charge controller rating = Total short circuit current of PV array x 1.2

15

Exercise
A house has the following electrical appliance use:

One15 Watt fluorescent lamp with electronic ballast used 6 hours per day.
One 50 Watt fan used for 3 hours per day.
One 80 Watt refrigerator that runs 24 hours per day with compressor run 16 hours
and off 8 hours.
The system will be powered by 12 Vdc, 130Wp PV module (Isc = 8.2 A @STC)
Assumptions:
1. Inverter efficiency = 0.9, safety factor = 1.25
2. Battery efficiency = 0.8
3. Depth of discharge = 0.75
4. Charge controller efficiency = 0.9, safety factor = 1.2
5. Safety factor of the PV modules = 1.2
6. PSH = 3.9 h/day
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1. Determine power consumption demands

Total appliance use = (15 W x 6 hours) + (50 W x 3 hours) + (80 W x 16 hours)
= 1520 Wh/day

= 90%

Charge Controller

Inverter

Loads

PV

= 90%

1520 Wh

Battery

= 80%
DOD = 75%

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2. Inverter sizing
a) Total Watts of all appliances = 15 + 50 + 80 = 145W
b) For safety, the inverter should be considered 25-30% bigger size.
c) Therefore, Inverter size = 145*1.25 = 181.25W.
The inverter size should be about 181.25W or greater according to the
availability in the market. Therefore, a 200W inverter is chosen .
= 90%

Charge Controller

Inverter

=
PV

Loads

= 90%

200W

Battery

1520 Wh

= 80%
DOD = 75%
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3. Battery sizing
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Total appliance use = ((15 W x 6 hours)+(50 W x 3 hours)+(80 W x 16 hours) = 1520 Wh

Daily energy (DC side), E1 = Eo / (Inv.eff) = 1520/0.9 = 1689 Wh
Nominal battery voltage = 12 V
Days of autonomy = 3 days
Battery capacity = [1689 / (0.75 x 12)] x 3 = 563Ah required.

So, the battery bank should be rated at 12 V 563Ah for 3 days of autonomy.
Using a battery unit rated at 12V 100 Ah, 6 battery units will be utilized to build
the battery bank.
= 90%

Charge Controller

Inverter
1689 Wh

Loads

PV

= 90%

200W

Battery

1520 Wh

= 80%
DOD = 75%

7200Wh
12Vx600Ah

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4. PV modules sizing
a)
b)
c)
d)

Daily total energy at Charge controller side (CC) = 1689/(0.8) = 2111Wh

Daily total energy needed from PV modules (EPV) = 2111/(0.9) = 2346Wh
Total Wp of PV modules needed =EPV / PSH = 2346 / 3.9 = 606.2 W
A safety factor of 1.2 is needed to compensate the degradation in the power of
the PV modules throughout the operation years. Therefore, the total is
606.2 x 1.2 = 727.44W.

= 90%

Charge Controller
2346 Wh

PV

Inverter

2111 Wh 1689 Wh

Loads

= 90%

200W

Battery
7200Wh
12Vx600Ah

1520 Wh

= 80%
DOD = 75%

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e) Number of PV modules needed = 727.44 / 130 = 5.6 modules.

f) Actual requirement = 6 modules (there are no fractions in PV modules)
g) Because the system voltage of each module is 12V and we have 12V battery.
Therefore the 6 modules will be connected in parallel.
So this system should be powered by at least 6 modules of 130 Wp/12V PV
module with a total peak power of 780Wp.
= 90%

Charge Controller
2346 Wh

Inverter

2111 Wh 1689 Wh

Loads

PV

= 90%

200W

6X130Wp
780Wp

Battery

1520 Wh

= 80%
DOD = 75%

7200Wh
12Vx600Ah

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5. Charge Controller(CC) sizing

a. The charge controller peak values depend on the system Voltage (Batteries) and the short
circuit current of the PV modules.
b. According to the nameplate of the 130W module, the short-circuit current is 8.2A
c. Because we have 6 modules in parallel. Therefore, the total current is 6x8.2 = 49.2A
d. Using the Safety factor of 1.2, we have 1.2x49.2 = 59.04A.
Therefore a charge controller with a system voltage of 12V and rated current of 60A is needed
for the system (60A is chosen instead of 59.04A because it is available in the market.)
= 90%

Charge Controller
2346 Wh

PV

Inverter

2111 Wh 1689 Wh

Loads

= 90%

6X130Wp
780Wp

=
200W

12V / 60A

Battery
7200Wh
12Vx600Ah

1520 Wh

= 80%
DOD = 75%
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The complete system

System Items:
1. PV modules 130W/12V X6
2. CC 12V/60A
3. Battery 12V/600Ah
4. Inverter 12V/230V 50Hz 200W
Charge Controller

Inverter

=
PV

=
=

12V / 60A
6X130Wp
780Wp

Loads

200W

Battery
7200Wh
12Vx600Ah

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Q&A
24

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