Design and Simulation of a Solar Energy System for Off-grid Application

Transition from nonrenewable to renewable forms of energy has recently been the focus of many researchers around the globe in recent times. This study designs and simulates an off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) system for a rural community (Itele) in Ogun State, Nigeria. The design considers a thorough load profile and solar irradiance analysis of the remote community. The solar irradiance data, including the global horizontal irradiance (GHI), direct normal irradiance (DNI), direct horizontal irradiance (DHI), and clearness index of the study location (Longitude 4.0622600oE and Latitude 6.7644700oN) was collected. A thorough analysis of the community\'s load profile and energy demand was conducted. An efficient and sustainable off-grid solar PV system was designed to meet the unique energy requirements of this rural area. By focusing on the month of August, when solar energy availability is at its lowest (GHI, DHI, and clearness index of 4.5 kWh/m^2/day, 3.3 kWh/m^2/day, and 0.47 respectively), the study ensured that the system is sufficiently robust to handle the most challenging conditions. Simulation was performed using Homer Pro software and the results indicate that the rainy season recorded a higher unmet electrical load (UEL), with an average of 3.21 kWh per year (0.0781%). This suggests that climatic conditions greatly affect the energy produced by PV system. The PV system exhibits a monthly mean of excess electricity production (EEP) throughout the year, with the peak excess production reaching approximately 97.28 kWh per year (6.6%). Based on these findings, the PV system in the Itele community case study performs technically optimal.