A contribution to the simulation and design optimization of photovoltaic systems

Guidelines for the proper selection of solar array and battery sizes for use in photovoltaic-powered dispersed systems located far from public power networks are presented. The choice of key design parameters of separately excited DC motors used for farm irrigation is addressed. The selection procedure is based on accurate system modeling and annual simulation using actual meteorological and typical load data. The procedure determines the useful, dumped, and commercial energy components forced by system-load interaction. Two systems are investigated. System one is an AC residential load of a given annual demand profile on hourly basis, while system two represents an irrigation set-up featuring a DC motor and a battery back-up. The results show that a properly sized battery interface would enhance the performance of the irrigation system by more than 12% compared to the directly coupled case.>