SOLAR PV INSTALLATION

ENERGY AUDIT AND BASIC SYSTEM

SIZING
 Energy Audit
• A home energy audit, also known as a home energy
assessment, can help you understand the whole
picture of your home's energy use.
• An energy audit is a procedure that identifies how
energy is being used in your facility or home and
helps identify practical and cost effective measures
that will reduce energy use, lower operating cost and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• A home energy audit should be your first step before
adding a renewable energy system to your home.
 Types of Energy Audit
Energy audit can be divided into two parts

• Walk through audit

• Comprehensive audit
 Walk through audit

• It is a light audit that consists of a relatively brief

inspection of the facility to identify maintenance,
operational or deficient equipment issues and to
identify areas which need further evaluation.
• In this audit, counting the energy consuming
appliances approach is taken. For the exercise,
we are using a walkthrough audit approach
 Comprehensive audit
• It a thorough audit, evaluating the energy consuming
systems of the building or plant in details using
appropriate monitoring devices.
• In this audit data loggers are used to capture the energy
consumed, this can be downloaded in an excel
spreadsheet for analysis.
• The analysis graph would show the peak load
consumption, the base load (When the facility is not
operating all their high energy appliance, here will look
at loads like television, lights etc. or consumption
captured during weekends when plant is not operating)
and every other important information.
• Common brands of energy loggers include Lutron,
Efergy, Smappee, Fluke and Hioki.
 Step by step calculation
To install an off-grid or hybrid system, you need to
perform seven steps:
• Evaluate the energy demand(load assessment)
• Size the battery bank
• Estimate available solar resource
• Size the solar panel array
• Size the charge controller
• Size the inverter
• Size cables and protective devices
Evaluation of energy demand
 Load Types
Resistive Loads
• There are mainly two types of resistive loads:
– Linear loads
– Non-linear loads
• Linear type loads consume an average amount of power that is
constant over time. There are no big fluctuations while running or
starting them. These are generally associated with the behavior of
electrical resistance; therefore, they are called resistive loads. This can
be a light bulb or water heater.
• Non-linear loads have a behavior similar to inductors or capacitors,
which have a consumption over time that is not constant. The resistive
loads have a specific power consumption in their datasheets. This
power consumption can be expressed in watts or amps.
 Load Types
Inductive Loads
• Inductive type loads draw more amps during their start cycle. If you are
using inductive loads, you need to consider the surge current when
starting these devices. Refrigerators, washers, and air conditioners are
examples of inductive loads.
 Load assessment
Three methods to obtain the power rating of an
appliance
• Direct reading on the nameplate (can often be very
inaccurate)
• Direct measurement of voltage and current using a
multimeter to determine power
• Direct measurement of energy consumed using an
energy meter. The energy requirement of an electrical
system depends on the loads within the system..
Load assessment
 Load assessment
• When sizing a battery-based solar system, it is important to
know which electrical loads need to be powered and for how
long.
• Electrical loads vary in their type and how much power they
draw. Some equipment such as water pumps and air
conditioners draw a large starting current, which could be up to
five times the operating current. However, these high starting
currents only last for 0.5 seconds.
• Some loads (energy-efficient or energy-saving) are best suited to
solar systems. For example, LED and CFL bulbs (energy-saving
bulbs) are better than the regular incandescent bulbs
 Load assessment
• Some AC loads as CFL lamps and motors (e.g. in
fridges) have a very poor power factor, which means
that they draw a lot of extra (so called reactive
power) from the power source (generator, inverter) to
supply the rated electric power.
• Other uncommon but equally important loads are
vampire or phantom loads. These loads occur when
equipment is on standby. For example, your decoder
consumes electricity while on standby.
 Phantom load
• A Phantom load is any electricity that appliance or device
consumes even when its turn off.
Video
Game 1.1

Clock Radio 1.7

Microwave 3.2

TV 4.3

VCR 5.6

Decoder 11.6

0 5 10 15
 Load optimization
• Load optimization means using the provided power source
in the most efficient way. This can be either done by:
– Reducing electric consumption by eliminating unnecessary
loads or replacing electric appliances with more efficient ones.
For example, disconnecting electronic devices from the socket
to avoid standby consumption or replacing an old fridge with a
modern A++ rated appliance.
– Timing electricity consumption to distribute and lower peak
loads, which might overload the generator or switching loads
at peak hours of electric energy generation. In a solar PV
system, for example, this could include switching on a water
pump to refill a storage tank at noon when the sun is strongest
 Energy efficiency
• Energy efficiency simply means using less energy to perform same
task – that is, eliminating waste.
• Some of the reasons for adopting energy efficiency measures
include reduction in energy costs thereby improving profits,
corporate social responsibility and reduction in global levels of
CO2 and other GHG emissions.
 Energy conservation
• Energy conservation is any behaviour that results
in the use of less energy.

• The things you do that reduces energy

consumption falls under energy conservation.
Energy Efficiency Label
 Electrical loads
• In solar powered systems, it is recommended that the energy consumption be
kept as low as possible.
• Investing in extra-low power consuming equipment will significantly reduce the
long-term operating cost of the solar system.
• Electric loads can be categorized into DC loads and AC loads.
– DC loads : The advantage of DC loads is that no inverter is needed. This
increases the efficiency of energy consumption, as DC to AC conversion loss
is eliminated.
– AC loads: AC loads provide the advantage of AC equipment being commonly
available in a wide range of products. Because it is often mass produced, AC
equipment generally costs less than their DC counterparts.
 Off-grid system sizing
• Important criteria to consider when designing and
selecting components for a standalone system
include:
– Lowest life cycle cost
– Tolerance of load and insolation variations
– Modularity and flexibility
– Ease of maintenance and repair
– Quality of power supply:
– Reliability
Appliances and their power ratings
 Power factor
• Power factor (PF) is the ratio of working power, measured
in kilowatts (kW), to apparent power, measured in kilovolt
amperes (kVA). Apparent power, also known as demand, is
the measure of the amount of power used to run
machinery and equipment during a certain period. It is
found by multiplying (kVA = V x A)

• Power factor is an expression of energy efficiency. It is

usually expressed as a percentage—and the lower the
percentage, the less efficient power usage is.
 Beer analogy
• Beer is active power (kW)—the
useful power, or the liquid beer, is
the energy that is doing work. This is
the part you want.
• Foam is reactive power (kVAR)—the
foam is wasted power or lost power.
It’s the energy being produced that
isn't doing any work, such as the
production of heat or vibration.
• The mug is apparent power (kVA)—
the mug is the demand power, or
the power being delivered by the
utility.
 How to calculate power factor
• To calculate power factor, you need a power quality
analyzer or power analyzer that measures both
working power (kW) and apparent power (kVA), and
to calculate the ratio of kW/kVA.

• The power factor formula can be expressed in other

ways:
𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟(𝑊)
PF =
𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟(𝑉𝐴)
 Load analysis
For example, to calculate the daily energy requirement for the
television, follow these steps:
• Determine the power consumed by the television (this can usually be
found on the name plate at the back of the TV). In our example, it is 68
W.

• Ask the system owner how many hours per day he/she uses the
television. In our example, this is 3 hours

• The daily energy requirement (Edaily), for the TV is 68 W x 3 h = 204 Wh

• Repeat for each appliance.

 Calculation(Design situation)

• Design a PV System for the following household

– 29 Inch Colour TV(120W) – 4hours
– Multichoice Decoder(15W) – 4hours
– 2×LED bulbs(15W) – 4hours
 Load Assessment
S/N LOADS QUANTITY POWER TOTAL DAILY USAGE DAILY
NEED(W) POWER(W) (hours) ENERGY
(Watt-hours)

a b (a x b) c (a xb) c
1 29 inch 1 120 120 4 480
Colour TV

2 Multi-choice 1 15 15 4 60
Decoder

3 LED Bulb 2 15 30 4 120

TOTAL 165 660

Note: For the purpose of minimizing the panel size as well as the battery capacity, the TV and the
decoder should not be left in standby mode.
 Deciding on system voltage
• If you have a high energy demand Mean daily energy Minimum system
that calls for powerful solar array. consumption(kWh/d) Voltage(V)
• The system current will also be 0-2 12
very high. 2-4 24
• Then it is better you set up your
system voltage and reduce the 4 - 14 48
charging current, cost of charge
controller and cables. 10 and above 60 +

• Use the table below to decide on

the appropriate voltage of your
system.
 Deciding on system voltage

• Since the Daily energy demand is 660Wh =

0.66kWh, it falls between 0 – 1kWh so the system
needs a voltage of 12V
Question
• If the daily energy demand is 12kWh, then the
system voltage will be?
 Battery sizing
Electrical storage batteries are commonly used in PV Systems. When sizing the
battery, the following factors have been taken into consideration:

1.Battery Efficiency
Most batteries have an efficiency of about 85%

2.Allowable Depth of Discharge

The maximum percentage of full rated capacity that can be withdrawn from a
battery is known as its Allowable Depth of Discharge. The allowable depth of
discharge for a Lead Acid Battery is 80%

3.Days with no sunshine/number of days of autonomy

The amount of days the system can operate on battery power alone with no
input from other generation sources(PV, Wind, generator).
 Battery sizing

Edaily  DOA
Battery Capacity 
DOD  System Voltage  Battery Efficiency

660  1
Battery Capacity 
0.8  12  0.85

 80.9 Ah
 Battery sizing
Battery Capacity( Ah )
No Parallel Connections 
Selected Battery Capacity( Ah )

SystemVoltage
No Series Connections 
Selected Battery Voltage

SystemVoltage Battery Capacity( Ah )

Number of batteries  X
Selected Battery Voltage Selected Battery Capacity( Ah )
 Selected battery
• When buying a battery, the
voltage and the ampere-hour
rating must be known.
• The capacity of battery will
depend on the energy
requirement of the appliances.
• Manufacturers rate their batteries
in ampere-hours, not watt-hours
• You must at this point select a battery
that is rated 12V 80.9Ah. The closest
available size in the Nigerian market
is the 12V 100Ah . This is the battery
you should select.
 Batteries available in the market
• 2V 330Ah • 12V 50Ah
• 2V 500Ah • 12V 60Ah
• 2V 600Ah • 12V 65Ah
• 2V 800Ah • 12V 75Ah
• 2V 1000Ah • 12V 100Ah
• 2V 1500Ah • 12V 150Ah
• 2V 1890Ah • 12V 170Ah
• 2V 2200Ah • 12V 200Ah
• 6V 220Ah • 12V 220Ah
• 6V 420Ah • 12V 230Ah
• 6V 770Ah • 12V 250Ah
• 6V 600Ah • 48V 30Ah(lithium ion)
• 12V 26Ah • 48V 100Ah(lithium ion)
• 12V 40Ah • 48V 200Ah(lithium ion)
• 48V 30Ah(lithium ion)
 Estimating the available solar energy
• To calculate the solar energy available in any location, we refer to the
term peak sun hour(PSH).
• This factor identifies the total amount of sunshine available in a
particular location for an average day. Eg. 5 PSH means the solar energy
at the site is 5kWh/m2
Climate Peak sun hours(PSH) Example location

Mangrove swamp 4 Yenegoa, Port Harcourt, Warri

High rainforest 4.5 Abeokuta, Ibadan, Benin city

Guinea savannah 5 Markurdi, Kaduna, Lokoja

Sudan savannah 5.5 Kano, Katsina

Sahel savannah 6 Maiduguri, Bauchi

 PV module sizing
• When sizing the solar array, it is important to note that it must provide the daily
energy required by the system.

• The solar array must be able to recharge your battery to a 100% SoC during all
or most of the days

• Total energy resource: This depends on where you are located in Nigeria

• Panel performance ratio: In real life, solar panels don’t live up to the
manufacturers ratings. The power output is reduced, mainly due to hot
temperature, dust on the panels and also due to wiring resistance. Under actual
conditions, solar panels generate only about 65% of the rated output power.
 PV module sizing
• In order to determine the required size of PV array, follow
this steps
- Divide the daily energy requirement by the performance
ratio.
660Wh
 1015Wh
0.65
• Divide the appropriate PSH for your location. Assuming the
location for installation is in Portharcourt, River State.
 PV module sizing
1015
Re quired size of solar panel array 
4
 254Wp

• Once we know the required size of solar panel array, you

need to determine the number and type of solar panels
need.
• Assume we have access to 150W solar panels each with a
nominal voltage of 12V. Hence, you will require:
 Solar Panels in the Market
• 12V 5W • 12V 190W
• 12V 10W • 24V 190W
• 12V 20W • 24V 200W
• 12V 30W • 24V 230W
• 12V 40W • 24V 250W
• 12V 50W • 24V 280W
• 12V 60W • 24V 300W
• 12V 80W • 24V 320W
• 12V 85W • 24V 320(Half cut)
• 12V 100W • 24V 375W
• 12V 130W • 24V 380(Half cut)
• 12V 140W • 24V 400(Half cut)
• 12V 150W • 24V 440(Half cut)
• 12V 170W
• 12V 180W

VICATEK SOLAR INITIATIVE 39

 PV module sizing

254Wp
Number of solar panels   1.69 solar panels
150

• Rounding up to the nearest whole number, you

will round 2 units of 150Wp solar panels for this
system
Name plate of a 150Wp
Solar panel
Solar panels connected in parallel
 Charge Controller sizing
• The charge controller must be able to control the maximum array
current under any conditions.

• In real-life operating situations, a solar module can generate a much

higher current than that specified under STC. Unlike the voltage, the
current of a solar module increases only slightly with rising
temperatures.

• Moreover, solar radiation at noon can, in some regions and under

certain weather conditions, be much stronger than 1,000 W/m².
Therefore, a solar charge controller needs to operate with a current at
least 25% greater than the maximum power point current of the array.
 Charge Controller sizing

Size of solar panel array(Wp)

Re quired size of ch arg e controller   1.25
Maximum power voltage of array

• When sizing the charge controller, the most important factor to

consider is the current rating. Charge controllers are rated
according to the maximum input current that they allow.
• They usually come in sizes of 10 A, 20 A, 30 A, 40 A, etc.
• A charge controller might be working at several voltages (12 V,
24 V), but the maximum current is fixed and independent of
operating voltage.
 Charge Controller sizing

• The maximum power voltage of the solar panel

can be gotten from the manufacturers data sheet
or the solar panel’s name plate.

• Going back to our system, we have two 12 V

panels connected in Parallel; hence the maximum
power voltage(Vmp) is 18 V.
 Charge Controller sizing
• Size of solar panel array (Wp) = 2 × 150Wp = 300 Wp

300Wp
Re quired size of ch arg e controller  1.25
18V

Re quired size of ch arg e controller  21A

• You must at this point select a charge controller that is rated 21A. The
closest available size in the Nigerian market is the 30 A charge
controller. This is the charge controller you should select.
Specification of charge controllers available in
the market
PWM MPPT
• 12V/24V 10A PWM Charge controller • 12V/24V 30A MPPT Charge controller
• 12V/24V 20A PWM Charge controller • 12V/24V 50A MPPT Charge Controller
• 12V/24V 30A PWM Charge controller • 12V/24V/36V/48V 60A MPPT Charge
• 12V/24V/36V/48V 30A PWM Charge Controller
Controller • 12V/24V/36V/48V 60A MPPT Charge
• 12V/24V 45A PWM Charge Controller Controller
• 48V 40A PWM Charge Controller • 12V/24V 70A MPPT Charge Controller
• 48V 50A PWM Charge Controller • 12V/24V/36V/48V 80A MPPT Charge
• 12V/24V 60A PWM Charge Controller Controller
• 48V 60A PWM Charge Controller • 12V/24V/36V/48V 100A MPPT Charge
Controller
• 12V/24V/36V/48V 60A PWM Charge • 96V 100A MPPT Charge Controller
Controller
 Inverter sizing

• An inverter is a piece of equipment that converts

DC electricity into AC electricity, allowing the PV
system to be used for appliances that require AC.
• Oversizing the inverter too much is also not
advisable, since an inverter running well below its
maximum power output is also operating with a
very low efficiency. Unnecessary costs should also
be considered.
 Inverter sizing

• Total power need = 165W

• Note that inverters should not run continuously
on their limit
• Hence, you should select an inverter that can
support a continuous rating of 25% more than
your power need.
• Total power need + 25% of total power need
 Inverter sizing

• It becomes 165W x 1.25 which gives 206.25W

• When making your selection, remember that
inverters are rated in volt-amperes(VA). This can
be done by dividing the continuous power rating
by 0.85.
206.25W
Re quired Inverter Size   242.65VA
0.85

 300VA
 Inverters in the Market
• 500VA/12V • 5kVA/96V
• 850VA/12V • 6kVA/48V
• 900VA/12V • 6kVA/96V
• 1kW/12V • 7.5kVA/48V
• 1kVA/12V • 7.5kVA/96V
• 1.5kVA/24V • 7.5kVA/120V
• 2.5kVA/24V • 10kVA/48V
• 2.5kVA/36V • 10kVA/96V
• 3.5kVA/24V • 10kVA/120V
• 3.5kVA/48V • 10kVA/180V
• 4kVA/48V • 10kVA/192V
• 5kVA/24V • 15kVA/48V
• 5kVA/48V • 15kVA/96V
• 20kVA/120V
 Inverter sizing

• A 12V 300VA Pure sine inverter is desirable for

the PV system
• 12V 300VA Inverters are not common in the
market, so we can go for 500VA or 900VA inverter
 Cable Sizing
• The wiring is what carries the electricity from the panels
through the charge controller to the batteries and from the
batteries through the charge controller out to the loads.
• Two main considerations are the wire size and the
terminations to avoid too much resistance to the flow of
electricity.
 Voltage Drop

• When current moves through an electrical circuit, a small

amount of voltage is lost due to resistance in the wires. This
concept, known as voltage drop, leads to a slight production
loss from your solar array.
• Voltage drop is more pronounced over longer distances. A
longer wiring run introduces more resistance to the circuit,
which leads to greater voltage drop.
• When you go solar, one of the goals is to design a system with
minimal voltage drop so that your array can perform close to its
peak rated output.
• It is generally considered best practice to keep voltage drop at
3% or less, though many systems come in well under that mark.
 Why Voltage Drop Matters

• Voltage drop has a direct impact on system

production.

• If your wiring run is too long, your panels may not

provide enough voltage to the battery.

• The efficiency of the entire system will suffer and your

real-world production won’t live up to the nameplate
rating of the components.
 How to Prevent Voltage Drop

There are four main approaches to counteracting voltage drop:

• Minimize the length of the wiring run.

• Consider your inverter placement carefully.

• Use a bigger wire size. Larger wire = less resistance.

• Design your system with higher voltage to overcome

resistance.
 Wrapping Up

• Voltage drop matters because it causes you to lose wattage from

your panels. More voltage drop = less production = less value
from your investment into solar.

• When designing a system, you should figure out where you plan
to place your components, then pick equipment with those
considerations in mind.

• If you have a long wiring run that can’t be avoided, it may be

smarter to invest in high-voltage equipment to save yourself on
a larger wire. Take a high-level view of the project and consider
the most efficient design options given the constraints.
 Cable sizing and selection
• Cable sizing is an important, yet often neglected, part of system
design. Once you know the required quantities of panels and
batteries, along with the type of regulators and inverters you
want to use, you will need to calculate the length and thickness
of the cables to connect the components.

• The length of a cable run depends on the location of the

installation. Cable lengths should be minimized to reduce power
loss and the costs of cabling. The maximum voltage drop on the
DC side of a PV installation should not exceed 3%, meaning that
no more than 3% should be lost in the distance from the solar
modules to the battery.
 Cable sizing and selection
The voltage drop depends on four factors:
• Length of cable
• Current on cable
• Thickness of cable
• Material of cable
The absolute voltage drop Vd can be calculated using the following
formula:

2  LCABLE  I  p
ACABLE
 Cable sizing and selection
LCABLE = Route length of cable in metres (Multiplying it
by two adjust the total circuit wire length since a
complete circuit requires a wire out and another
wire back along the route)
I = current in amperes
P = Resistivity of wire in Ω/m/mm²(The resistivity
of copper is 0.0179Ω/m/mm²
ACABLE = cross sectional area of cable in mm²
 Voltage drop in percentage
• The voltage drop is calculated as a percentage by
dividing the absolute voltage drop over the
system voltage.
Vd
Voltagedropin % 
VMax
Where Vmax is the maximum system voltage
applied to relevant cable.
 Cable sizing and selection
• The required minimum cross sectional area of the
cable can be calculated using the following
formula:
2  LCABLE  I  p
ACABLE 
Vd
 Cable Sizing exercise

• A 800Watts solar array of 24 V DC system voltage

generates under STC a maximum current of
23.53A. Assuming the cable length from the roof
top to the battery via the charge controller is 6 m.
• The required cable thickness is ?
• Remember
2  LCABLE  I  p
ACABLE 
Vd
 Cable Sizing exercise

• The required cable thickness is

2  6  23.53  0.0179

0.03  24
 7mm 2

• The system needs a minimum cable size cross

sectional area of 7mm 2 , the available size would
be 10mm 2
 Cable Sizing exercise

• A 300Watts solar array of 12 V DC system voltage

generates under STC a maximum current of
16.68A. Assuming the cable length from the roof
top to the battery via the charge controller is 6m.
• The required cable thickness is?
• Remember
2  LCABLE  I  p
ACABLE 
Vd
 Cable Sizing exercise

• The required cable thickness is

2  6 16.68  0.0179

0.0312

 10mm 2

• The system needs a minimum cable size cross

sectional area of 10mm 2
 Summary

• INVERTER = 1PC OF 900VA/12V PSW

• BATTERY=1 PC OF 100Ah/12V
• SOLAR PANEL= 2PCS OF 150W/12V
• CHARGE CONTROLLER= 1PC OF 12V/24V/30A
• CABLE SIZE = 10mm2
Complete System Diagram
 System Costing
ITEM QTY UNIT PRICE TOTAL(NAIRA)
Solar Panel 150W Polycrystalline 2 27,000 54,000
Solar Panel
Inverter 900VA Pure Sine Wave 1 55,000 55,000
Inverter
Battery 100Ah Deep Cycle Battery 1 55,000 55,000
Charge controller 12V/24V 30A PWM 1 29,000 29,000
Charge Controller
Battery Rack - 1 9,000 9,000
Installation - 40,000 40,000
Accessories
Labour - 35,000 35,000

277,000
[email protected]

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