A new approach in size optimization and performance prediction of photovoltaic-hybrid power systems

The combination of a PV generator and a diesel generator provides a reliable and cost effective power system for electrification of remote areas. These systems are known as PV-hybrid power systems and they usually include a battery bank as storage unit. An important factor in designing such systems is performance to supply electric power in an efficient way of operation. Thus correct sizing of the components in a PV-hybrid system is an important factor, as under-sizing will result in an unreliable system while over-sizing results in an unnecessary expensive system. The objective of this paper is to describe a numerical method developed to optimize the size of components in a PV-hybrid power system based on the size of existing diesel generator set. The results obtained from this numerical solution are used to predict the performance of the system