Baseline measurements of an AC solar photo voltaic micro grid system in a reserve forest of India: A pilot implementation for operational and behavioral analysis of decentralized energy systems

Decentralized energy generation and distribution systems (mini/micro-grids) based on renewable energy sources forms one of the prospective solution for electrification of remote areas where conventional grid penetration is non-feasible. In such scenarios, efficient operation and periodic maintenance becomes indispensable for system sustainability. Deploying these systems in geographically inaccessible areas adds on to the implementation challenges. This paper addresses a distinctive approach in setting up a research oriented 2KW AC solar photovoltaic (PV) micro-grid in a remote village based inside a reserve forest area of India. The objective is to perform baseline measurements for operational and behavioral analysis with reference to the climatic changes. The solar PV generation profiles, battery level indications, weather station data and energy consumption patterns will be recorded by the customized embedded monitoring system. The same shall be beneficial to optimize design configurations in setting up future micro-grids and improve the electronic grid controlling techniques.