A comparative study between autonomous photovoltaic systems sizing methods

Abstract

Our energy future should be based on clean energies with significant resources. Solar energy is one of the best candidates especially for rural areas where providing electricity is considered as a challenge. Before installing any solar system,a sizing process is required. Sizing consists of determining the size of the photovoltaic generator, the capacity of the storage unit and the nominal power of the inverter, taking into account the weather conditions, energy demand and the cost.Several sizing methods exist in literature and they usually utilize different methodologies and approaches to size a solar system.For the same geographical location and demand profile, various sizing results can be obtained based on the chosen method and that is what makes it a delicate part. In this context, the research presented is the development of a methodology of sizing anda techno-economic assessment carried out for stand-alone solar systems, the results are compared to conventional methods and PVsyst software. This methodology is defined by two models; a reliability model and an economic model. A case study is conducted for the analysis of a stand-alone system for a laboratory internal lighting at the National Polytechnic School located in Algiers.