Description
ABSTRACT
This is an off grid photovoltaic system designed and costing for a typical one bedroom flat located in nkpolu-oroworukwo, port-harcourt, Nigeria. It is aimed at clearing doubts and fear engulfed by residential owners about photovoltaic systems in the country. The off grid photovoltaic system was design based on the electrical energy requirement of the flat. To achieve this, the power rating of common appliances which could be found in the flat were identified and multiplied by their time of operation to understand the energy demand of the house.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The condition of energy generation and supply in Nigeria has deteriorated to the level that it is difficult to ascertain the time it will be available to consumers. Various administrations have come up with different ways of alleviating the situation but no meaningful result is achieved till date. Recently the country has privatized power sector but the expected result is still far reach (Abdulkarim et al., 2014). Currently, the Nigeria electricity installed capacity is 8,876MW which is mostly from fossil fuels and still grossly inadequate to meet the energy needs of more than 160 million Nigerians (Oyedepo, 2012).The availability is far below the installed capacity due to many factors. In fact, the recent vandalism of gas pipelines that supply gas to power plants has caused power generation to drop to 1,580.6 megawatts in March,2016 (Okechukwu et al., 2016). This has brought untold hardship on the citizens and derailed economics activities(Okechukwu et al., 2016).
The installed capacity is not enough even when the power plants are generating at peak capacity. Only 40% of Nigeria’s population is connected to the grid and the situation is worst in the rural areas. The distribution companies out of no other alternatives resolve to the used of rationing technique and mostly supplies electricity at very low current, but still those that have access to the grid; only 30% of their needs are met(Abubakar et al., 2016).
The inability of energy supply to match demand has become unacceptable to many citizens. As a result, they resort to other means of energy such as burning of wood and grasses, fuel or gas used generators, for domestic and day to day running of their business without considering the effects their energy sources might caused to the environment (Abubakar et al., 2016). The electricity generates by Nigeria is mostly from fossil fuels which is the reason the country was in 2012,ranked 46th in the world for CO2 emissions with more than 73.69 metric tons emitted in 2011 (Adebayo et al., 2014).
The introduction of photovoltaic technologies is a relief to the situation faced by Nigeria today. After all, the use of fossil fuel for energy generation is outdated due to its effects on climate. Apart from that, it is costly and mostly a source of conflict (Arimah et al., 2013).
Photovoltaic is a technology used to convert sunlight directly to electricity. Photovoltaics are also called solar cells. When sunlight strike the surface of the cell, the energy from the light is enough to eject one electron from the shell of its host atom with a constant amount of energy. The electron removal is proportional to the intensity of micro packets of light energy usually referred to as photons (Arimah et al., 2013). Very close to the surface of the cell is a membrane called pn-junction which allows only electrons with a specific amount of energy to cross. This makes the surface of the cell facing the sun to acquire negative voltage while the other side is positive voltage (Arimah et al., 2013). If electrical cables are connected to the negative and positive sides, forming an electrical circuit, the electrons can be collected in the form of electric current (electricity) which can be used to power electric appliances. Figure 1 is the summary of how photovoltaic works.
Different cells are connected together to form a solar module. A solar module supply electricity at a particular voltage just like conventional cells. Many different solar modules connected together forms an array. The solar module can have a life time of at least 20 years (Arimah et al., 2013). Photovoltaic is currently used in many countries for electricity generation. Figure 2 from the appendix page shows the global PV installation in 2016 (Adenikinju et al., 2016).
Many researchers have found out that PV systems are cheap and will even get cheaper as time passes. The cost of a PV system includes the capital cost, operation and maintenance cost and installation cost. The cost depends on factors such as the size, and whether it is mounted on a roof top or on the ground [9]. The roof top PV does not require an extra space but mounting on the ground requires a separate space for the system. Figure 3 shows the projected price of photovoltaic modules.
In a comparative study conducted by (Adenikinju et al., 2016) at university of port-hartcourt, discovered that the cost of an off grid photovoltaic system is cheaper than the use of diesel for energy generation or when one embark on payment of electricity bills from the grid.
An off grid photovoltaic system generates electricity independently without grid connection.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
As a result of continuous power failure and fluctuation in power supply by Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), sensitive appliances and system are affected by interruption power supply and also the blackout also affect human generally in that it takes away our happiness. Then, this project is to provide a back-up, reliable power supplyfrom a renewable energy source (solar panel) to power some selected home appliances such as computers, television set, lighting systems.
1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The aim of this work is to design a renewable power supply that uses solar cells to convert energy from the sun into a flow of electrons by the photovoltaic effect. Solar cells produce direct current electricity from sunlight which can be used to power equipment in a one bedroom flat and it costing is tabulated in the work.
The objectives of the work are:
- To have a steady power supply in a one bedroom flat that is independent on the mains grid system.
- To produce a low cost solar energy
- To make a solar system that is independent on a dc to ac inverter, which can be used to power dc appliances.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
- Electricity produced by solar cells is clean and silent. Because they do not use fuel other than sunshine, PV systems do not release any harmful air or water pollution into the environment, deplete natural resources, or endanger animal or human health.
- Photovoltaic systems are quiet and visually unobtrusive.
- Small-scale solar plants can take advantage of unused space on rooftops of existing buildings.
- PV cells were originally developed for use in space, where repair is extremely expensive, if not impossible. PV still powers nearly every satellite circling the earth because it operates reliably for long periods of time with virtually no maintenance.
- Solar energy is a locally available renewable resource. It does not need to be imported from other regions of the country or across the world. This reduces environmental impacts associated with transportation and also reduces our dependence on imported oil. And, unlike fuels that are mined and harvested, when we use solar energy to produce electricity we do not deplete or alter the resource.
- A PV system can be constructed to any size based on energy requirements. Furthermore, the owner of a PV system can enlarge or move it if his or her energy needs change. For instance, homeowners can add modules every few years as their energy usage and financial resources grow. Ranchers can use mobile trailer-mounted pumping systems to water cattle as the cattle are rotated to different fields.
1.5 PROBLEM AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
- Some toxic chemicals, like cadmium and arsenic, are used in the PV production process. These environmental impacts are minor and can be easily controlled through recycling and proper disposal.
- Solar energy is somewhat more expensive to produce than conventional sources of energy due in part to the cost of manufacturing PV devices and in part to the conversion efficiencies of the equipment. As the conversion efficiencies continue to increase and the manufacturing costs continue to come down, PV will become increasingly cost competitive with conventional fuels.
- Solar power is a variable energy source, with energy production dependent on the sun. Solar facilities may produce no power at all some of the time, which could lead to an energy shortage if too much of a region’s power comes from solar power.
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 CONCLUSION
At the end of this work the objective was achieved which is to design and costing analysis of a dc off grid photovoltaic system for a one bedroom flat located in nkpolu-oroworukwo, port-harcourt, Nigeria. This has become necessary because of inadequate electricity supply from the grid, the increase in militants’ vandalism of pipelines that supply gas to electricity generating plants resulting to total black out or power shielding, arbitral charges from electricity distribution companies and the effects of co2 emission from fossil fuels. In the mist of these problems, photovoltaic system can use the abundant solar energy in port-harcourt to generate electrical energy needed for daily use. This source is very cheap compare to the use of fuel generators as alternative energy source. Apart from that it is environmentally friendly; it brings about independent energy generation and economy stability.
The system is made up of three 150w PV modules, 150amps battery batteries, charge controller and other electrical connecting devices.
5.2 RECOMMENDATION
Working on this topic as my project is a good idea and it comes at the right time. I am suggesting that this particular topic should also be given to other students both in higher and lower class.
For maximum energy gain, solar panels should be inclined at optimal tilt angle and seasonal adjustment of the panel may lead to considerable gain in power obtained from solar energy.
