PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF A SOLAR BATTERY CHARGE CONTROLLER FOR TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL PV SYSTEMS IN NIGERIA: A SIMULATION APPROACH

The performance analysis of a Perturb and Observe (P&O) Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) based solar battery charge controller suitable for typical residential photovoltaic (PV) systems in Nigeria was carried out in this study. The system was modelled using MATLAB/Simulink environment, with specific attention given to modelling and observing a lead-acid battery behaviour in terms of State of Charge (SOC) and Depth of Discharge (DoD). The system comprises of a PV array, MPPT controller, buck converter, lead-acid battery, inverter, and Alternating Current (AC) load. The simulation results demonstrated a gradual charging and discharging pattern. A +0.97 and +0.69 SOC change was observed for SOC of 50.97% and 90.69% under 33 minutes for both cases. The system also performed satisfactorily under varying irradiance levels – a stable 32V output PV voltage was obtained under high solar irradiance (1000𝑊𝑊/𝑚𝑚2), medium irradiance (700 𝑊𝑊/𝑚𝑚2), and low irradiance (390 𝑊𝑊/𝑚𝑚2). The findings support the utilization of MPPT-based controllers for Nigeria’s residential solar systems as such controllers ensures improved battery life and efficient energy capture, as well as reduces energy waste. This research also highlights the importance of tailoring PV systems to local load demands and environmental conditions, and thus, contributes to the deployment of off-grid renewable energy solutions in Nigeria.