Dimensioning a residential PV system for a cost minimization when operating under abnormal situations: Case study for Lebanon

Solar photovoltaic is currently the technology for electricity production that witnesses the fastest growth in the world. Unfortunately, in the case of an abnormal operating situation, these systems can´t be profitable, although technology is improving and prices are decreasing. An abnormal operation is considered in this study when the connectivity to the grid is partial or not possible or when the storage is partially used or not used at all. In this study, technical dimensioning and economic analysis are simultaneously performed in order to find the costless system according to load requirements, storage existing capacity and grid availability. The suggested analytical approach is useful for the case of the most developing countries where the offered subsidies for PV installation are not enough and the operating environment is not ideal. The objective is to find the costless residential system installed in a developing country and the case study of a standard Lebanese house is adopted for validation. The analysis takes into account the solar profile, the average energy consumption, the availability of the grid and the net metering policy.