Simplified design of a stand-alone photovoltaic generation system in a sub-Saharan farm

A simplified procedure for sizing an off-grid photovoltaic plant with battery storage is presented in this paper and applied to the real case-study of a sub-Saharan farm. This work is within the framework of a wider project that deals with the sustainable and ecological transition of rural and remote areas, aiming at giving contributions against poverty and malnutrition. Thus, the objectives of this manuscript are to analyze the peculiarity of this installation and set a suitable simplified procedure for supplying the farm with electrical energy based on the following main steps: a literature review on the available procedures, research on useful standards for load and continuity constraints definitions, an analysis of the available software for photovoltaic plant design. The proposed steps should be easily tunable, adaptable and implementable by local engineers, even those working in other parts of the world, but sharing similar needs for continuity in the power supply with the sub-Saharan farm.