DESIGN AND SIZING OF STANDALONE SOLAR POWER GENERATION FOR A MEDIUM RESIDENCE IN KANO STATE

Abstract

Energy is one of the prime mover of mankind and need of the energy is always increasing at the same time the sources of energy are depleting with respect to time. Because of these reasons, energy expert thinks of other sources of energy that are sustainable, among which solar energy is the freely renewable energy source and it is abundant in nature. This paper tend to design a stand-alone solar energy generation for a medium house in Kano state Nigeria, the results of the research revealed that a 300W solar PV array capacity of 30 modules, 22 (140Ah, 12V) batteries and 4 (90A, 202-253V) voltage regulator are needed to supply the electrical load of the house. The overall cost estimate of the system was ₦886,032 which is relatively high when compared to that of fossil fuel generator used by the house but the payback period of the system is estimated to be 2 years 4 months, which is obviously much shorter than the lifespan of the selected PV modules which is 30 years.