Feasibility study of installation of MW level grid connected solar photovoltaic power plant for northeastern region of India

Abstract

Solar energy is one of the most suitable renewable energy options in India. In the last decade, solar energy installations have received an ample impetus in India due to active initiatives taken by the Indian government. However, the solar energy potential of country’s North-Eastern (NE) part is not utilized effectively so far. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis of the feasibility of installation of a megawatt-level grid-connected solar photovoltaic (SPV) power plant in all the state capitals of NE India is carried out. The climatic data collected from various online sources and NASA climatic database were utilized in designing a 2 MW SPV plant. The theoretical procedure involved in designing the SPV plant is also presented in this study. PVsyst simulation software is used to predict the performance of 2 MW power plants for these eight states of India. From the analysis, it is observed that NE India has an immense potential for installation of solar energy conversion devices and thus it can be harvested economically. It has been observed that locations of Guwahati and Gangtok provide a high performance ratio of 0.855. Aizawl provides the minimum unit cost of electricity generated at a value of 3.88 INR/unit. The analysis also reveals that the Aizawl and Guwahati are the most suitable locations for installation of SPV power plant amongst the NE capitals.