An effective design method for grid-connected solar PV power plants for power supply reliability

This paper discusses a methodology, specifically for solar power potential areas, to effectively design and develop solar photovoltaic power plants integrated with battery banks connected to the utility grid as an additional backup to maintain power stability and reliability. To prove the effectiveness of this method regarding its use for the design and development of the proposed system, Kinshasa city in Democratic Republic of the Congo with a huge (5425 MWh) energy deficit has been considered as a case study. In fact, the method employed in this study has considered weather data, site selection, hourly load power and energy demand analysis, specifica-tions of PV technologies and other components of the system. Economic analysis has also been carried out for the proposed system viability assessment. With a competitive LCOE, SPP < 10 years, NPV'0, SIR'1, and ROI '10 %, and a yearly PV energy output greater than the city's energy deficit, the system proposed has been found to be feasible and viable. In a search for better performance, higher efficiency and better economic values, the proposed method is highly recommended and can be regarded as one of the most effective and the easiest for sizing large-scale PV systems.(c) 2022 International Energy Initiative. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.