Comparison of PV and BESS Sizing Methods for Autonomous Street Lighting Systems

There are different calculation paradigms applied in the sizing of photovoltaic systems, which can be sorted accordingly to existent classifications. These methods vary regarding the amount of information needed as the input data, the computational resources required for their achievement, as well as the precision and complexity obtained in their results. Based on an existent classification for such methods, and presenting some works which can be sorted into this classification, it was noticed the lack of pointers for guiding professionals choosing the fittest method for a given project. As a first evaluation in this regard, a hypothetical case for different real-world conditions was considered as a comparison basis for two different sizing methods. The results of these methods are compared, founding the need for special attention in choosing the method depending on the application, due to the variables considered in each approach.