- Title
- Low energy storage off-grid photovoltaic systems
- Creator
- Ribisi, Edwin Tebogo
- Subject
- Solar panels
- Subject
- Photovoltaic power systems
- Date Issued
- 2022-12
- Date
- 2022-12
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/60489
- Identifier
- vital:65634
- Description
- Electricity is one of humanity's most important resources for enhancing the quality of life. With over 770 million people worldwide still without access to electricity, this is a big global challenge that requires a variety of solutions if we humans are to achieve the 2030 sustainable development objectives, such as zero poverty and universal access to electricity. A major number of the 770 million people who lack access to electricity reside in regions with abundant sun irradiation. Electrification is a practical key to unlocking socio-economic development in impoverished regions. PV systems with batteries have a disadvantage of requiring high capital costs, with batteries being the most expensive component in such a system. Accumulation of maintenance and replacement costs of batteries are high throughout the lifespan of a PV system with batteries due to limited lifespan of batteries, typical 1-3 years. A batteryless PV system for daytime commercial purposes is proposed in the dissertation. An experimental set up of the proposed batteryless PV system was constructed and tested in a laboratory. A load controller for the batteryless PV system was implemented, loads were given priority levels and schedule times to be operated during the day. A DC dump load regulates DC bus voltage and also acts as a water heater. Furthermore, a simulation model was developed on MATLAB Simulink. The simulation model consisted of two case study scenarios, 3 solar panel system and 7 solar panel system of an internet café business. Better system performance was noticed when loads were given priority levels with no schedule times. This dissertation establishes the foundation for a completely batteryless solar system designed to cultivate daytime economic activities in impoverished communities to increase revenue opportunities.
- Description
- Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, 2022
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (xi, 140 pages)
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Ribisi ET Dec 2022.pdf | 6 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |