CHAPTER FOUR
System Design and Implementation
4.1 Introduction
This chapter presents the design and implementation of a 10 kW parallel photovoltaic (PV)
inverter system with battery storage. The design methodology follows a rule-based
approach to ensure the system meets energy demand, accommodates environmental
conditions, and adheres to industry standards. The chapter provides detailed calculations
and justifications for each component, focusing on the PV array, inverter, and battery
storage system.
4.2 Design Methodology and Assumptions
4.2.1 Methodology
The steps for designing the system are:
1. Energy Demand Analysis: Determine daily energy consumption and peak load
requirements.
2. PV Array Sizing: Calculate the size of the solar PV array based on energy requirements
and peak sunlight hours.
3. Inverter Sizing: Select an inverter with a capacity sufficient to handle the peak load and
system capacity.
4. Battery Storage Sizing: Determine the battery capacity to provide energy storage for
autonomy during periods of no sunlight.
5. System Loss Adjustments: Account for losses due to inefficiency, wiring, and temperature.
6. System Optimization: Oversize components as necessary to ensure long-term reliability
and efficiency.
4.2.2 Assumptions
The design is based on the following assumptions:
1. Energy Requirements:
- Daily energy consumption: 40 kWh/day.
- Peak load: 10 kW.
2. Environmental Factors:
- Location with 5 peak sunlight hours per day.
3. Battery System:
- Autonomy: 2 days.
- Depth of discharge (DoD): 80%.
4. System Losses:
- Total system losses (inverter, wiring, etc.): 20%.
5. Solar Panel Efficiency:
- Efficiency: 20%.
4.3 System Design
4.3.1 PV Array Sizing
Objective:
To size the PV array such that it generates sufficient energy to meet daily demand after
accounting for losses.
1. Energy Requirement with Losses:
The daily energy requirement is adjusted to account for system inefficiencies:
Required Energy = Daily Energy Consumption / (1 - System Losses)
Required Energy = 40 kWh / (1 - 0.2) = 50 kWh/day
2. PV Array Capacity:
The capacity of the PV array is calculated based on the energy requirement and the
available sunlight hours:
PV Array Size = Required Energy / Peak Sun Hours
PV Array Size = 50 kWh / 5 hours = 10 kW
3. Oversizing for Efficiency and Degradation:
To account for potential losses, oversize the PV array by 20%:
Adjusted PV Array Size = 10 kW × 1.2 = 12 kW
Result: The PV array size is 12 kW, ensuring sufficient energy generation.
4.7 References
1. Duffie, J. A., & Beckman, W. A. (2013). Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes. John Wiley
& Sons.
2. Masters, G. M. (2013). Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems. John Wiley &
Sons.
3. International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). IEC 61724: Photovoltaic System
Performance Monitoring – Guidelines for Measurements, Data Exchange, and Analysis.
4. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Best Practices in PV System Design.
5. Solar Energy International (2020). Sizing a Battery Bank for Your Solar PV System.
Retrieved from: [Link]
6. Energy Sage (2023). How Many Solar Panels Do You Need? Retrieved from:
[Link]
7. PVsyst: A PV design and simulation software widely used for sizing PV systems.
8. Tesla Powerwall Specifications (2023). Retrieved from:
[Link]
9. United States Department of Energy (DOE). Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy:
Photovoltaics.