Methodology for the design optimisation and the ec

PublishedinIETRenewablePowerGenerationReceivedon29thJuly2008Revisedon10thFebruary2009doi:10.1049/iet-rpg.2008.0069ISSN1752-1416Methodologyforthedesignoptimisationandtheeconomicanalysisofgrid-connectedphotovoltaicsystemsA.KornelakisE.KoutroulisDepartmentofElectronicandComputerEngineering,TechnicalUniversityofCrete,GR-73100Chania,GreeceE-mail:[e-mail]:Inthisstudy,amethodologyforthedesignoptimisationandtheeconomicanalysisofphotovoltaicgrid-connectedsystems(PVGCSs)ispresented.Thepurposeoftheproposedmethodologyistosuggest,amongalistofcommerciallyavailablesystemdevices,theoptimalnumberandtypeofsystemdevicesandtheoptimalvaluesofthephotovoltaic(PV)moduleinstallationdetails,suchthatthetotalneteconomicbenefitachievedduringthesystemoperationallifetimeperiodismaximised.ThedecisionvariablesincludedintheoptimisationprocessaretheoptimalnumberandtypeofthePVmodulesandtheDC/ACconverters,thePVmodulesoptimaltiltangle,theoptimalarrangementofthePVmoduleswithintheavailableinstallationareaandtheoptimaldistributionofthePVmodulesamongtheDC/ACconverters.TheeconomicviabilityoftheresultingPVGCSconfigurationisexploredaccordingtothenetpresentvalue,thediscountedpaybackperiodandtheinternalrateofreturnmethods.TheproposedmethodhasbeenappliedfortheoptimaldesignofaPVGCSinterconnectedtotheelectricnetworkofanislandwithsignificantsolarirradiationpotentialandthecorrespondingoptimalsizingandeconomicanalysisresultsarepresented.NomenclatureBtotallengthofthemetallicrodsrequiredfortheinstallationoftheentirePVGCSB1totallengthofthemetallicrodsrequiredtoconstructthemetallicframesofaverticallineB2totalnumberoftheintermediateverticalrodsofeachsideofaverticallineBBtotalvolumeoftheconcretefoundationbasesrequiredtosupportthePVGCSPVmodulemetallicmountingframesBtottotallengthoftheverticalrodsofeachsideofaverticallineCOsellingpriceofthePVGCSgeneratedenergyCBtotalmanufacturingandinstallationcostofthePVGCSmountingstructuresCc(x)totalcapitalCINVcapitalcostofeachDC/ACconverterCLcostofpurchasingtherequiredinstallationareaCm(x)maintenancecostCPVcapitalcostofeachPVmodulecBperunitvolumecostoftheconcretefoundationbasesclcostoftheinstallationlandperunitareacSperunitlengthcostofthemetallicrodsD1southerndimensionoftheactualinstallationareaD2westerndimensionoftheactualinstallationareaDIM1southerndimensionofthetotalavailableinstallationareaDIM2westerndimensionofthetotalavailableinstallationareaddayEtottotalannualenergyinjectedtotheelectricgridbyeachPVmoduleFFd(t,b)fillfactor476IETRenew.PowerGener.,2009,Vol.3,Iss.4,pp.476–492&TheInstitutionofEngineeringandTechnology2009doi:10.1049/iet-rpg.2008.0069(t,b)globalirradianceincidentonthePVmoduleplacedattiltanglebogannualinflationrateH1maximumheightofaPVmoduletiltedatanangleequaltoboHTmaximumheightofeachrowhwconcretefoundationbaseheightIRRinternalrateofreturnISC,STCPVmoduleshort-circuitcurrentunderSTCISCd(t,b)PVmoduleshort-circuitcurrentinominalannualdiscountrateJ(x)PVGCStotalnetprofitfunctionKIshort-circuitcurrenttemperaturecoefficientKVopen-circuitvoltagetemperaturecoefficientkyearnumbersthattheDC/ACconvertersmustberepairedLpv1lengthofeachPVmoduleLpv2widthofeachPVmoduleLTtotallengthofeachrowMINVannualmaintenancecostperunitoftheDC/ACconvertersMPVannualmaintenancecostperunitofthePVmodulesMTBFmeantimebetweenfailuresoftheDC/ACconvertersN1PVGCStotalnumberofPVmodulesN2numberoflinesperrowNblockmaximumpossiblenumberofPVmodulesallocatedtoeachDC/ACconverterNCOTnominalcelloperatingtemperatureNdcthePVGCStotalnumberofDC/ACconvertersNpparallelbranchesofPVmodulesNp1parallelbranchesofPVmodulesconnectedtoasingleDC/ACconverterNpmaxmaximumnumberofthePVmodulesparallelbranchesconnectedtoeachDC/ACconverterNPVnetpresentvalueNrthenumberofDC/ACconvertersrepairswhichmustbeperformedduringthePVGCSlifetimeNrowtotalnumberofrowscomprisingthePVGCSinstallationNsPVmodulesconnectedinseriesNs1PVmodulesconnectedinseriestoasingleDC/ACconverterNsernumberofPVmodulesinstalledineachrowNserminnumberofPVmodulesinstalledineachlineNsmaxmaximumnumberofPVmoduleswhichcanbeconnectedinseriesineachbranchNsminminimumnumberofPVmoduleswhichcanbeconnectedinseriesineachbranchndiscountedpaybackperiodnbtotalnumberofverticallinescomprisingthePVGCSinstallationnINVDC/ACinverterpowerconversionefficiencynMPPTconversionfactorindicatingtheaccuracyoftheMPPtrackingoperationperformedbytheDC/ACconverterntmaximumnumberofPVmoduleswhichcanbeinstalledwithinalinePE(x)totalprofitsachievedfromsellingtheproducedenergytotheelectricgridduringthesystemoperationallifetimeperiodPMd(t,b)maximumoutputpowerofaPVmoduleondayd(1d365)andathourt(1t24)PmaxDC/ACconverterDCinputnominalpowerratingPM,maxmaximumpossiblePVmoduleoutputpowerlevelattheMPPpbmboundarymutationprobabilitypnumnon-uniformmutationprobabilitypsacsimplearithmeticalcrossoverinitialprobabilitypscsimplecrossoverprobabilitypumuniformmutationprobabilitypwacwholearithmeticalcrossoverinitialprobabilityRcostrepaircostofeachDC/ACconverterRTCpresentvalueofthetotalcostofrepairingtheDC/ACconverter