Design, performance, and techno‐economic analysis of a rooftop grid‐tied PV system for a remotely located building

Abstract

AbstractThe utilization of fossil fuel leads to excessive CO2 emissions that have negative impacts on the environment. The continued trend of this practice may result in an increase in the occurrence of storms, cyclones, starvation, and floods, as well as a rise in atmospheric temperature. Therefore, the focus should be on renewable energy sources, as they emit less CO2. This study presents the design and modeling of a 135‐kW solar PV grid‐connected power generation system for a university's remotely located building. The system is designed to function optimally in an area with an average solar radiation of 585.8 W/m2. The technical, financial, and annual performance of the system is demonstrated, which includes fixed‐mounted racking with 26° fixed‐tilt angle structures and monofacial PV panels. The design is validated and simulated using the PVsyst for designing a PV On‐Grid design and SketchUp for shadow analysis tools to determine the system's ideal size, technical requirements, and electrical power output. Moreover, two different inverters (Company A and Company B inverters) were used to compare and analyse the system's performance with the same PV panel. This project's results may impact the university's choice to install a solar PV system to minimize power consumption.