AES Clean Energy Consulting

https://id.linkedin.com/in/andresusanto

Workshop

Rooftop Solar PV Variants

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Sources of Energy

 Nuclear
 Sun
 Wind
 Geothermal
 Coal
 Oil
 Hydro
 Gas
 Biomass

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Sources of Energy Sources

• Most energy sources derived their

energy from the sun.
• Oil and coal are plant based fuels. All
plants convert the sun’s light into
energy storage (carbohydrates/sugars).
• Wind and ocean currents rely on
atmospheric conditions due to the
sun’s heat.

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Harvesting Solar Energy
LIGHT LIGHT:
• Solar PV Panels
HEAT

HEAT:
• Solar Thermal
• Solar Thermo-electric

CHEMICAL:
• Natural Gas
• Petroleum/Oil
• Plants
• Coal

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Solar Energy for Us
• Solar PV panels for electricity
• Solar hot water heater for showers/washing

These are examples of

residential use of solar
energy. There are many other
uses that are commercial /
industrial in nature

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Rooftop Solar PV

What is it:
 Solar PV system that has its panels
installed on the rooftop
 Also includes other installations
such as Building Integrated PV,
canopy covers, etc
 Directly connected to the building’s
electrical system (most important
characteristic)
 Least expensive option to install
solar PV panels

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 Rooftop Solar PV – System Sizes

Commercially available solar panels with the highest efficiency

require 1m2 to produce 211 watts of power. Typical panels
produce around 150-175 watts of power per 1m2. This means:
 Most residential systems are limited to its roof surface area so typical sizes
are 1,500 watts to 7,500 watts. Large homes and villas may be able to
install up to 25,000 watts. Very rarely residential systems go beyond this
size. (*how much area will it take to install 25,000 watts? 7,500 watts?
1,500 watts?*)
 Commercial and industrial sizes can reach several MWs of installed solar
PV panels. Especially if it is economical to use areas beyond their rooftops
such as parking lots. (*how much area will it take to install 1MW?*)

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Rooftop Solar PV – Examples

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Rooftop Solar PV – Examples

Source: http://www.gracesolar.com

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Rooftop Solar PV – Examples

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Rooftop Solar PV – Examples

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Rooftop Solar PV – Examples

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Rooftop Solar PV – Examples

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Rooftop Solar PV – Examples

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 Rooftop Solar PV - Types

 Simple grid connected – Self Consumption

 Simple grid connected – Net Metering
 Simple grid connected – Gross Metering
 Grid connected with battery backup
 Grid interactive
 Off grid system

These are some of the different types of solar PV system variants

commonly used in rooftop systems. Other variants are also
possible but not as prevalent in implementation.
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Rooftop Solar PV – Simple Grid Connected
Self-consumption

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Rooftop Solar PV – Simple Grid Connected
Net metering

Self-consumption Net metering

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Rooftop Solar PV – Simple Grid Connected
Net metering

Excess energy fed to

the grid as credit for
future consumption of
energy by the
consumer

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Rooftop Solar PV – Simple Grid Connected
Gross metering

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Rooftop Solar PV – Simple Grid Connected
All three of the Simple Grid Connected Gross metering
Schemes are the same system
configuration. The differences are:
- Self Consumption systems are sized
to produce less than the demand
during the solar PV production times
(used where no net metering/Feed in
Tariff is available)
- Net Metering systems are sized to be
able to produce more than the
demand during the solar PV
production times
- Gross Metering systems are the
same sizing method as Net Metering
but all of the solar PV energy
production is counted to be applied
to the Feed in Tariff

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Rooftop Solar PV – Simple Grid Connected
Metering Configuration

Net metering Gross metering FiT metering

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Rooftop Solar PV – Grid Connected w/ Battery Backup

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Rooftop Solar PV – Grid Connected w/ Battery Backup
There are several ways this system can
be used. All of them can use the same
hardware configuration as long as the
parameter settings in the inverter(s) or
controller(s) allow it. Some common
setups:

- Simple backup where the batteries

will only be used when the power is
out
- Time shifting is where the system’s
parameter is set to minimal energy
export. It will use the excess energy
generated by the PV system to
charge the batteries. During the
periods of high utility tariff, it will
prioritize using the batteries to serve
the loads to minimize energy import
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Rooftop Solar PV – Grid Connected w/ Battery Backup

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Rooftop Solar PV – Grid Interactive
Given the correct hardware (inverter
and/or controller), a solar PV
system with battery backup can be
a grid interactive system.

A grid interactive system has

sophisticated control parameters to
set how it interacts with the system.
One of the options may be “zero
export” or battery prioritization.
These parameters set how the
system is to interact with the grid in
a predetermined manner.

One of the most common is to

never use the grid to charge the
batteries (pass through to the load
only) but use as much of the solar
PV and battery energy to power the
loads)

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Rooftop Solar PV – Grid Interactive

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Rooftop Solar PV – Off Grid
Given the correct hardware (inverter
and/or controller), a solar PV
system with battery backup can be
an off grid system.

An off grid system does not require

the presence of a utility grid if sized
appropriately for energy
independence. Most of them can
easily be turned into a PV-Diesel
hybrid by simply adding the
generator backup.

When calculated for lowest lifetime

cost of energy, a hybrid system can
strike a great balance between
regular op-ex spending and the
initial cap-ex cost.

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Rooftop Solar PV – Bonus; Direct Drive Applications
A direct drive application is the
most cost efficient use of solar PV
energy. Similar to a net metering
solar PV system, the energy
produced is immediately used. In
this case by the load instead of
being sent to the grid as surplus.

Because the system is very simple

and often require even less
components than a net metering
system, the payback period for this
system can be low.

In some commercial applications

(such as a hotel’s pool pump) the
payback period can be as short as 3
years.

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Rooftop Solar PV – Summary
System Characteristics:
- As small as a few kWp to several MW
- Connected to the facility’s electrical
distribution board
- Designed to reduce the consumer’s
electricity bill
System types:
- Simple Grid Connected; the smallest
designed system would be for self
consumption and reduce the amount of
energy imported from the grid. The
next step would be to have a net
metering regulation that allows for
direct import/export energy exchange
and calculation
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- Grid Connected with Battery Backup;
adds the capability of charging batteries
and to use those batteries as a backup
system. This can also be used to allow
for peak shaving or time shift operations
- Grid Interactive; it can be exactly the
same as the system above, but there are
additional system parameters that can
be used to more closely interact with the
grid for energy import/export/pass
through
- Off Grid; this system obviously
eliminate the need for utility energy
import as long as the system was
designed correctly. It can also use the
same components (if selected properly)
as the Grid Interactive system
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Conclusion – Solar PV Rooftop

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