PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF GRID CONNECTED SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM

Abstract

The electrical power sector plays an important role in the economic growth and development of a country. In India, fossil fuels were the primary source of electricity until the last few years since then their share in the country's overall energy mix started to decline due to the limited availability and growing environmental concerns. The Government of India has committed to achieve 50% non-fossil-based installed electricity capacity by 2030. Solar energy-based decentralized and distributed generation will play a significant role in achieving this target. This commitment to solar power is backed by comprehensive policies and initiatives. The Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) is a key cost metric for comparing various power generation technologies, encompassing all fixed and variable costs. It represents the price at which electricity must be sold for the system to break even over its lifetime thereby helping to assess the investment viability of a project. During the early years, the solar industry faced a dual challenge: lowering the LCOE to attract consumers and distribution companies, while also protecting investor interests. The Indian government has rightly targeted this concern by directly subsidizing the solar sector through Viability Gap Funding (VGF), Generation-Based Incentive (GBI), Accelerated Depreciation (AD) etc. to bring it at par with conventional generation tariffs. This has led to a decrease in the LCOE of the solar PV projects for the consumer and thus paved the way for its faster adoption at the same time safeguarding the interests of investors. With the introduction of auction-based bidding, the industry has moved to dynamic market pricing. The withdrawal of selective support measures highlights the maturation of the solar industry. However, the solar power photovoltaic generation is intermittent in nature and the reliance of photovoltaic power generation on various meteorological parameters impacts solar generation due to weather-induced variability. During the day, fluctuations in radiation introduce intermittency in power generated, raising reliability and grid stability issues at higher penetration levels. Storage allows intermittent sources to address timely load demand and adds flexibility in load management. It permits some of the consumptive load of one moment to be satisfied by the primary generation of another period. With the exponential growth of solar generation, it has become necessary to comprehend the working of battery energy storage systems in tandem with a grid-connected PV-based system from grid stability point of view. Further, the performance and efficiency of the photovoltaic module are highly affected by various environmental and local weather factors. Out of many factors that determine optimum yield in a PV module, environmental factors like accumulation of dirt, dust etc. (soiling loss) directly affect the performance of solar generation. Soiling losses enhance uncertainty in solar generation and result in a rise in LCOE due to loss of energy production, and increased Operation & Maintenance vi (O&M) costs. Relating weather conditions with dust accumulation on PV modules will enable us to develop better predictive models for the power output of PVs in the sense that these models will include the power losses caused by dust accumulation. With the rapid growth of solar installations in India and the world over, managing the waste from solar PV panels has become an impending challenge. Solar panels have an estimated useful lifespan of 20-25 years before they are considered waste. Apart from this, global evidence has demonstrated that faulty or damaged panels during the early part of their lifecycle also contribute substantially to solar waste problems. The absence of adequate regulations, guidelines and operational infrastructure for photovoltaic waste in India may lead to waste being inappropriately landfilled or incinerated in a manner that may be detrimental to human health and the environment. The thesis discusses various factors that affect the techno-economics of solar PV power generation and various components that decide the solar tariff. The extent of some of the direct incentives (VGF, GBI, etc.) and indirect incentives (waiver of transmission losses and Point of Connection (PoC) charges, exclusion from merit order dispatch/ must-run status, government policy support etc.) required to achieve a desired value of LCOE for solar PV plants have been investigated on the basis of the cost-effectiveness index. An in-depth analysis of the solar photovoltaic system's techno-economics performance will shed light on the plant's real functioning & profitability and make suitable recommendations for future projects. The present study apart from a discussion on popular grading methods for performance evaluation of plants namely Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) and Performance Ratio (PR), also considered the feasibility of a battery storage system from a peak demand reduction point of view using General Algebraic Modelling System (GAMS) under a variable electricity energy pricing dynamic. The energy management approach described in this study aims to reduce annual energy costs for buildings by optimizing battery energy usage. The operational issue of soiling has been dealt with through an outdoor investigation conducted in real time in Delhi, a city having the dubious distinction of the polluted megacity of the world. In addition to estimating soiling loss using an outdoor experiment, the current study also attempts to quantify the effects of deposited and ambient particulate matter, including dust, on the solar flux that can be used to generate energy. The present study aims to address the issue of soiling by developing an optimal cleaning schedule. Such an investigation would facilitate feasibility studies of cleaning mechanisms and the development of appropriate cleaning schedules for solar panels considering pollution levels in Delhi to minimize loss of energy. The thesis highlights the study undertaken to estimate the volume of solar PV waste in India, particularly at the time when the country is undergoing a massive solar capacity expansion programme. Presently, India is in the stage of installation of solar photovoltaic panels and little or no focus is being given towards the impending problem of handling solar waste. The study aims to estimate the volume of solar PV vii waste in India and also presents an environmentally benign strategy to policymakers for the handling of solar waste using LCA methodology. The role of the avoided burden approach due to recycling of materials from the point of view of circular economy prospects has been discussed. The thesis research work is designed to delve deep into the challenges plaguing the solar industry and propose effective solutions for these challenges.