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A. Solar Power Overview

Solar generation as it is commonly referred to is simply the conversion of light energy from the sun to electricity with the use of solar panels. These panels also consist of the solar’s rays by photovoltaic (PV) cells which turn the sunbeams into power. It is a clean method to minimize the exploitation of the fossil fuels as well as greenhouse gasses emissions. Solar energy can be used to power homes, offices and industries or any other establishment of our choice. But it’s also versatile; it can be stored in batteries or fed directly into the grid for immediate consumption.

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B.Distinguished between AC Solar and DC Solar systems

1. Type of Current

DC Solar System: Solar panels generate direct current (DC) that means the flow of electricity has a single direction.

AC Solar System: Here, the DC electricity is converted to AC electricity by an inverter as shown in the figure below;; This makes it compatible with most of the home appliances.

2. System Design

DC Solar System: Such arrangements normally require a battery in which the stored energy is stocked, because mains voltage DC power cannot be directly drawn in most homes.

AC Solar System: Most of these systems are tied directly to the grid or your present AC wiring, so they are easier unless you are totally ‘off the grid’.

3. Energy Conversion

DC Solar System: The generated power is used in as is or with DC compatible appliances..

AC Solar System: As such, the generated DC power is converted to AC through an inverter to power everyday appliances and can be fed into the grid.

But, while using the two energies, you have to consider your goals; whether you want to run specific appliances, use batteries, or plug into the grid. That means each system has its own benefits depending on what exactly you may be looking for.

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How to Determine Your Home’s Electrical Load

Perhaps sometimes you have wished to find out how much power your house consumes. Now, don’t worry, it’s not as difficult as it may seem or sound to do it. It just requires their list, power rating (in watts) and time usage per day to calculate your daily electricity consumption. Now let me make a breakdown of the process:

Ideally, list the devices you frequently use – a refrigerator, a fan, a TV, or lighting. Take a closer look at their wattage – often, you can find it in any sticker or manual. Then, quantify how many hours you utilize each one everyday. Divide the wattage by the hours of use and multiply it by one day to find out how many energy units are used by each appliance. Sum them all, and you get the quantity of energy that your home uses within a day.

Here’s an example for a typical home: Using 150 watts, a refrigerator is in use 24 hours a day; therefore, it draws 3600 watt-hours (Wh) in a single day. A ceiling fan might consume 70 watts for 8 hours which equals 560 Wh. One 4 hours TV watching with 120 watt set incurs 480 Wh. But if it is a washing machine that consumes 500 watts per an hour then 500 Wh will be consumed. Lastly, assume you have four 40 watt bulbs on for 5 hours a day it will be 800 watt hours. On the whole, the combined energy consumption would amount to 5940 Watt-hour or 5.94 kilowatt-hour (kWh) per day.

Why Does This Matter?

That knowledge is a crucial factor when planning for solar energy because you must understand your daily energy consumption. For example, if you use 5.94 kilowatt-hours of energy, you require a large solar system that charges enough energy equivalent to 5.94 kWh.

1. Introduction

This document provides the electrical specifications for a DC solar home customer for installation of four lamps of 5 watts and three fans of 20 watts each. The system will be aimed at offering the necessary power output in lighting and cooling to the customer using solar systems for power. Also, the AC solar system specification for powering a 1 HP or 746 W water pump motor, and the function of each device will also be provided.

2. DC Solar Project Details

A. System Overview

The proposed DC solar project seeks to solve the power problem by offering a sustainable and cheapest way of lighting four 5-watt lamps and three 20-watt fans in the customer’s house. This system will employ a solar power system to produce electricity, charge a battery bank and the supply power to the loads. The purpose of this project is to guarantee that the customer is able to power their lighting and cooling requirements off-grid in order to minimize energy expenses and, consequently, their carbon emissions.

B. Components and Materials

1. Solar Panels

The project will employ usable polycrystalline solar panels with maximum power rating of 100 watts per panel. The number of panels that would be installed will therefore depend with the connected loads expected load demand and space available for installation of the panels. Solar panels will be anchored on the roof facing the direction of south in order to receive the most sunlight possible.

2. Charge Controller

A 20A MPPT charge controller will be used in the system to ensure a high level of efficiency in the conversion of energy realized by the solar panels to that stored or supplied by the battery bank. The Maximum Power Point Tracking technology enables the system to run at the optimum power point of the solar panels hence; to produce higher energy and lessen battery charging time.

3. Battery Bank

The battery bank will include 12V deep cycle lead-acid batteries which have a rating of 100 Ah each. The watt-hour total capacity of the battery bank is in consistent with the energy used by the connected loads in a day and the amount of sunlight received in a day. These batteries when connected in series, the system voltage of 12V DC will be obtained from a single parallel connection of batteries.

4. Inverter

An inverter will not be needed in this DC solar system because the appliances tapped in this system will directly work on DC.

5. Wiring and Disconnects

All wiring within the system will consist of 10 AWG stranded copper cables that will provide enough current and withstand the test of time. Overcurrent protection will have circuit breakers or fuses arranged in the load center. All cutoff switches will be available for convenient and safe installation in case of maintenance.

C. Load calculation and Sizing

The power consumption of four lamps of 5 wattage and three fan of 20 wattage shall be estimated to calculate he wattage of the solar panel and the capacity of the battery bank. According to the results, the adequate number of solar panels and batteries will be chosen so that the system could supply the connected loads with energy during the rain or cloudy weather, when the amount of received sunlight is insufficient.

D Installation & Commissioning

After the design procedure is complete, the solar panels, charge controller, battery bank and the wiring will be fitted by an expert solar technician. The system will then be commissioned where the charging current is checked and the MPPT settings calibrated through load testing. The technician will give an operational manual, with safety information and general maintenance instructions to the customer.

3. Specifications of AC solar system required by water pump motor

A. System Overview

The AC solar system will be a renewable source to power a 1 HP or 746 W water pump motor to meet the customer’s needs of irrigation or supplying water. These will include solar panels, charge controller, battery storage system, inverter and the wiring. The main objective of this project is to provide a means for the customer to have safe abetted power for their water pump motor apart from the main grid hence save on cost and the environment.

B. Components and Materials

1. Solar Panels

In this project, the polycrystalline solar panels of maximum power rating of 300 watts will be utilized. The number of these required panels shall be established by the data on the average energy consumption of the 1 HP water pump motor and the total area where the panels are to be installed. The choice of the roof area for installation of the solar panels will be the South-facing roof part, which will guarantee the greatest possible exposure towards the sun and, therefore, maximum generation of energy.

2. Charge Controller

A 40A PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) charge controller will be used in the design to control the amount of energy supplied to the battery bank from the solar panels. The PWM technology is employed to make sure that battery bank is properly charged and not overcharged or under charged.

3. Battery Bank

The battery bank will therefore include a 12V deep cycle lead acid batteries with an AH capability of 200Ah each. The watt hour total capacity of the battery bank will be determined by the daily energy use of the water pump motor and the daily sun light hours. The batteries will be connected in series so that over the 12V DC system voltage is attained in the circuit.

4. Inverter

A 1.5 KVA pure sine wave inverter will also be installed in the system to change the voltage from the 12V battery bank to an output power of 230V to power the 1 HP water pump motor.

5. Wiring and Disconnects

All the wiring within the system will be of #10 AWG stranded copper gauge in order to carry enough current as well as to be durable. To protect against over current there will be Circuit breakers or fuses provided at the load center. Maintenance and operation of the system will be done by disconnect switches which will easily control the on and off of the system.

C.Load Calculation and System Sizing

The energy used per day by the 1 HP water pump motor shall be determined, this will be done following certain parameter for instance pumping head, rate of flow and efficiency of the pump. According to the results, the correct number of panels and batteries will be fitted to the system so that the motor of the water pump will be able to be run during rainy or cloudy weather when less sun and therefore less power is available.

D. Installation and Commissioning

After the design has been finalised, the solar panels, charge controller, battery bank, inverter and wiring will be jointly fitted by an experienced solar technician. After that, the system will be commissioned where parameters such as load testing and adjustment of charge controller settings will be determined. The functioning manual that will be written by the technician should include safety instructions for the system together with tips on how to maintain the system as provided to the customer.

4. Conclusion

As is highlighted in this document both the DC and the AC systems meet the power needs of the customer’s home in a sustainable and cost effective manner for efficient lighting, cooling and water pumping demands. Using solar energy, the customer can save a great amount of energy and greatly reduce its use of the main grid and, therefore, its negative impact on the environment and its long-term energy costs.

All pictures are taken from pixabay

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