Photovoltaic stand-alone systems: preliminary engineering-design handbook

An aid is provided for system design engineers in determining the suitability of stand-alone photovoltaic systems for specific applications. It can be helpful in the preliminary engineering of the system in which the initial sizing of the major components of the system are determined. Introductory material on using the handbook, and on typical stand-alone PV system configurations are provided. Component design and engineering information, including load estimation and reduction strategies, PV array characteristics, and material on batteries, power handling equipment, and back-up systems are provided. The data needed to begin the design process is discussed and, preliminary system design considerations are given. These considerations include analysis of insolation and siting, system sizing, feasibility assessment and reliability engineering approaches. Information is provided on system design procedures and applicable codes and standards.