Cost Analysis of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) System for Urban Home in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) based system is gaining popularity in Nigeria due to the incessant blackout and cost of fuelling petrol generators. However, one of the reasons for slow installation of the BIPV is the cost of the entire system which include PV modules, storage battery, inverters, etc. This paper analyses the factors that determine the cost of the BIPV system such as building load, and the autonomy of the storage battery. Some electrical appliances were used to develop different load profile for an urban building. The different load profile and the battery depth of discharge (DoD) and autonomy of the battery bank were used to analyse a sustainable and cost effective BIPV system. The paper reveals that a sustainable cost effective BIPV system for urban homes in Nigeria is determined by the type of electrical appliances used, and the appliances usage pattern. Also, the cost of the system is also affected by the depth of discharge (DoD) and autonomy of the battery bank as revealed in the paper.