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Description / Abstract:
This guide provides information to assist in sizing the array
and battery of a stand-alone photovoltaic system. Systems
considered in this guide consist of PV as the only power source and
a battery for energy storage. These systems also commonly employ
controls to protect the battery from being over- or undercharged,
and may employ a power conversion subsystem (inverter or
converter).
This guide is applicable to all stand-alone PV systems where PV
is the only charging source. This guide does not include PV hybrid
systems nor grid-connected systems. This guide covers lead-acid
batteries only; nickel-cadmium and other battery types are not
included. This guide does not include the sizing of the system
controller, inverter, wiring, or other system components.
Purpose
The purpose of this guide is to provide procedures to size the
PV array and battery according to accepted methods, to improve the
performance, cost-effectiveness, and lifetimes of stand-alone PV
systems. The issues of array utilization, battery-charge
efficiency, and system losses are also considered in terms of their
effect on system sizing. These procedures are intended to assist
designers, manufacturers, system integrators, users, and
laboratories with information necessary for sizing, modeling, and
evaluating the performance of stand-alone PV systems.