Design and implementation of 59 kWp solar hybrid mini-grid in SOLAB, Ras Al Khaimah

The off-grid electricity demand of research centers in csem-uae´s solar open air laboratory (SOLAB) is 94500kWh/yr., which is being supplied by a central diesel generator and multiple stand-alone photovoltaic power plants. Optimization and centralization of solar energy production was required to reduce the consumption of diesel. To meet this requirement of centralized solar energy, a very accurate load profiling of each center was generated using an algorithm. The design of hybrid PV mini grid was carried out using HOMER. A 59kWp hybrid mini grid was commissioned at SOLAB. The designed system is estimated to reduce the diesel consumption by 95% and thus implying a payback time of 2.7 years and reducing 144 tons of annual carbon emission from SOLAB.