%0 Journal Article
%T Feasibility and Optimal Design of a Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Energy System for the Orphanage
%A Vincent Anayochukwu Ani
%J Journal of Renewable Energy
%D 2014
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2014/379729
%X Access to electricity can have a positive psychological impact through a lessening of the sense of exclusion, and vulnerability often felt by the orphanages. This paper presented the simulation and optimization study of a stand-alone photovoltaic power system that produced the desired power needs of an orphanage. Solar resources for the design of the system were obtained from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy website at a location of 6¡ã51¡äN latitude and 7¡ã35¡äE longitude, with annual average solar radiation of 4.92£¿kWh/m2/d. This study is based on modeling, simulation, and optimization of energy system in the orphanage. The patterns of load consumption within the orphanage were studied and suitably modeled for optimization. Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) software was used to analyze and design the proposed stand-alone photovoltaic power system model. The model was designed to provide an optimal system configuration based on an hour-by-hour data for energy availability and demands. A detailed design, description, and expected performance of the system were presented in this paper. 1. Introduction Isolated (remote) sites are locations far from the places where most people live and often lack grid power supply. The price of conventional energy sources in remote areas, such as candles, paraffin, gas, coal, and batteries, is often more expensive than in places where most people live because of the remoteness of retailers. Providing grid electricity in remote areas is often associated with higher costs to the grid supplier. Power may be supplied through stand-alone systems (serving just one or two users). These systems can provide power for domestic uses such as lighting, cooling, TV, radio, and communication. The power may be generated from various resources, using diesel, biomass, wind, PV, or small hydrogenerators, or hybrid combinations of these resources. Depending on the characteristics of a specific use (i.e., the load profile) and the local supply options, the least cost solution for an orphanage may consist of any of the above options. The attraction of these sources lies primarily in their abundance and ready access. Many of the isolated areas lying remotely from the grid have a high potential of renewable energy with solar energy being the most abundant. Solar home system (SHS) typically includes a photovoltaic (PV) module, a battery, a charge controller, wiring setup, and a DC/AC inverter. A standard small SHS can operate several lights, a television
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2014/379729/