Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 45 (2023) 102903

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Case Studies in Thermal Engineering

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Analysis of the PV system sizing and economic feasibility study in

a grid-connected PV system
Ahmed G. Abo-Khalil a, b, **, Khairy Sayed c, Ali Radwan a, d, *,
IbrahimI.A. El-Sharkawy a, d
a
Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
b
Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Assuit University, Assuit 71515, Egypt
c
Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
d
Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: UAE has good weather conditions for the integration of renewable energies in utility grid,
Energy consumption especially photovoltaic solar energy, as it is one of the countries with the highest rate of solar
Photovoltaic radiation in the world, thus being able to contribute to policies to reduce greenhouse gas emis­
Grid-connected sions. This article presents a study on how to control the variability that the production of
PV sizing electricity from solar energy presents and how to improve the integration of this type of pro­
duction for self-consumption in an installation. Thus, in addition to a survey on the legislation
that regulates the activity of self-consumption, topics such as energy storage, photovoltaic pro­
duction and the optimization of the dimensioning of production systems with storage were
addressed. The dimensioning process of a photovoltaic system connected to the grid is based on
the choice and suitability of the module and DC/AC inverter and other peripheral equipment. The
inverter sizing factor is the relationship between the inverter power and the PV generator power,
and your choice depends on several factors. In addition, this work aims to in addition to pre­
senting a study regarding economic feasibility so that it is possible to assess the profitability of
this technology for the selected building.

1. Introduction
Knowing that both the demand for electricity and the technological domain are increasing, it is necessary to make an alliance
between our desire to consume and our capacity to generate. The immense part of the electric energy produced today comes from
exhaustible and polluting sources such as gas, coal and oil [1]. According to the energy balance study carried out by the International
Energy Agency (IEA), 10,987 TWh were generated in the world in 2020 [2].
In economic terms, the development of nations is closely linked to the consumption and price of energy. In fact, the fluctuations that
occur in the price of energy have a direct impact on all subsectors of economic activities with a great impact on citizens, such as
transport, foodstuffs or health. In this context, Western countries will have to know how to manage the long and arduous transition to
an energy model less dependent on oil and fossil fuels. It is with this diagnosis of growing geostrategic concerns, rising prices for oil

* Corresponding author. .Department of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering, College of Engineering, University of 22 Sharjah, Sharjah, P.O. Box
27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
** Corresponding author. Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
E-mail addresses: aabokhalil@sharjah.ac.ae (A.G. Abo-Khalil), Ali.radwan@sharjah.ac.ae (A. Radwan).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2023.102903
Received 3 October 2022; Received in revised form 7 March 2023; Accepted 12 March 2023
Available online 17 March 2023
2214-157X/© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
A.G. Abo-Khalil et al. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 45 (2023) 102903

(and all its derivatives) and limiting CO2 emissions (Kyoto Protocol), that it is imperative to use other renewable energy sources such as
wind and photovoltaic solar energy [3]. The European Union currently imports around 50% of its energy needs and with the current
rate of growth dependence should reach 70% within 20–30 years [4]. The need to meet the continued growth in energy demand in the
near future, especially in the field of electricity, in the face of the necessary reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, require a significant
investment in exploration.
Endogenous renewable sources, such as solar energy [5].
On the other hand, the energy captured from the Sun has increasing applicability and visibility. There have been financial and
technological investments in the search for the improvement of new clean methods for energy generation in several countries, such as
Germany, which, in May 2016, came to operate with 87% of renewable energy generation [6]. For systems connected to the public
electricity distribution network, the photovoltaic generator delivers the maximum power it can produce to the network at any given
moment. Between the module and the network there are regulation and interface equipment that optimize the generation conditions
and adapt them to the reception conditions imposed by the network. In schematic terms, the situation can be described as illustrated in
Fig. 1 [7].
Distributed energy generation through photovoltaic systems integrated into homes or buildings has some benefits. An example is
the fact that the energy demands of loads with a daytime peak profile, such as cooling systems in buildings, are alleviated. There is also
the possibility of obtaining an “energy credit”, the result of an installation that injects more energy into the grid than it consumes.
From the point of view of energy efficiency, it should be considered that transmission and distribution losses are reduced since
energy consumption takes place at the point of generation itself. The grid-connected photovoltaic systems do not require the use of
batteries, as the network itself works as a backup. In the conventional electric network, the current is presented in the alternating form
(AC). The photovoltaic module, on the other hand, has a continuous current (DC) as its output. Therefore, in order to connect PV panels
to the grid, it is essential to use a DC/AC converter, also called an inverter [8]. The main purpose of the inverter is to transform the
voltage and current waveform generated by the photovoltaic modules from continuous to alternating, adapting the PV generator
output characteristics to the standards of the local network. Knowing that photovoltaic generators hardly reach their nominal capacity
and that inverters should not operate at low loads, the possibility of under-dimensioning the inverters is identified [9].
The dimensioning process of a Grid Connected PV system is based on choosing the module and DC/AC inverter that make up the
system. The relationship between the inverter power and the PV generator power is known as the Inverter Sizing Factor (ISF). The ISF,
defined as the ratio between the inverter and generator power, is a design variable that can be evaluated through numerical simulation,
using hourly irradiance and temperature data, so to represent the best cost-benefit ratio [10]. The ISF analysis is an important agenda
for projects due to the fact that the undersizing of the inverter can reduce the cost of produced energy, enhancing the feasibility of
implementing these systems. On the other hand, excessive undersizing will subject the inverter to prolonged levels of higher tem­
perature, which may reduce the useful life of the equipment. In this context, the present work aims to size a grid connected PV system
in operation at a residential building as a study basis. In the last stage of the work, an economic feasibility analysis of the installation of
the photovoltaic system was carried out.
The component responsible for converting direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC) is the inverter. Currently, commer­
cially, there are two models of inverters: the string inverter and the integrated module inverter. The string category is still predominant
in the photovoltaic market, however, in some other countries, the use of integrated module inverter technology has increased
considerably.
The inverter must dissipate the minimum amount of power, avoiding losses and producing a voltage with low harmonics and in
synchrony with the grid (on-grid system). These inverters are equipped with the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) function
capable of obtaining the maximum possible power from the photovoltaic modules. However, for these string inverters, this maxi­
mization is not carried out individually for each module, as it occurs in the entire arrangement of modules, so that the entire series
connection is limited by the conditions of the worst module. In this way, the inverter guarantees that the array as a whole is generating
the maximum power, which will be a value smaller than the sum of the maximum power of each module. When the photovoltaic
module is partially shaded there is a risk of hot spots. The module contains a mechanism that aims to reduce the negative impact that

Fig. 1. Schematic of a photovoltaic generator and its interface equipment with the grid.

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A.G. Abo-Khalil et al. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 45 (2023) 102903

partial shading can cause on the module, which uses a bypass diode or bypass diode. The module that is in the shade will produce less
and have a lower current, leading the entire row of modules to adapt to the lower current value. Thus, in common situations of partial
shading of the photovoltaic generator, the MPPT may find it difficult to find the operating condition that favors the power produced.
As a solution to this problem, there are inverters that use power optimizers, which are small devices that can be installed every two
modules. To mitigate losses in a photovoltaic system, the optimizer is usually equipped with a MPPT. Therefore, the optimizers allow
the design of PV arrays to become more flexible, that is, with different modules, orientations, inclinations and amounts of shadows.
Well, the main difference between string inverters and inverters with power optimizers is that in strings the total power is transformed
into a single inverter, transforming the power generated by several modules into just one piece of equipment, while the optimizers
process the electrical energy coming from each photovoltaic module individually at the generation site. An optimizer linked between
the modules allows each module to always operate in its optimal conditions, and not interfere with each other. Another point is that in
inverters with power optimizer, the size of the series of modules (string) is determined by power and not by voltage. This often makes
the use of power optimizers in plants that have roofs with different positions and inclinations more advantageous.
Both systems allow the monitoring of energy generation, depending only on the model of equipment chosen. However, the power
optimizers make it possible to follow up and monitor in real time the energy generated module by module, allowing the plant owner to
clearly identify the modules with problems or in need of maintenance or local shading problems, something that does not happen with
the string inverters.
This paper presents the feasibility analysis of grid connected PV system in Sharjah city. The power demand is typically a residential
load. Sizing of the grid-connected system components is to investigate the cost of producing energy for system. Sizing of the PV system
is to meet the estimated load at minimum cost. This calls at first for assessing the climate conditions which determine the temporal
variation of the insolation in Sharjah city. A payback period as a simple economic indicator is used to assess the attractiveness of an
investment, as it determines its recovery period.

2. Centralized vs. distributed generation

Currently, There are three types of PV generator subsystems [11]: Centralized generation, where it is composed of large power
plants that are normally far from consumer centers; distributed generation where the supply is made through small plants that are in
the consumers themselves or close to them; and the so-called isolated systems that are located in more remote regions of the country,
such as the Northern region, unable to connect to the national system due to the economic infeasibility imposed by distance or
environmental issues. According to the main definitions present in Ref. [12], for centralized generation there is a clear advantage for
producing energy on a large scale, where costs per MWh are always reduced, thus reducing the amount that the final consumer pays for
their monthly consumption. However, there is always a need for large transmission lines, acquisition of large areas for its construction
and, of course, the environmental risks and impacts that all large constructions bring to the local population.
For a distributed generation, the cost is increased due to the small amount of energy generated, but there is no need for lines to
transport energy, which can reduce significant losses. And, with the high rates and the latest readjustments charged by concessionaires,
it becomes increasingly feasible to use alternative systems to reduce the value of the final bill [13].

3. Grid-connected systems
Grid-connected systems, also known as grid-tie, do not use accumulators, such as batteries, as the energy that is generated has two
possible paths: Consumption directly to the load that is connected or being injected into the distribution network. With this, the
photovoltaic generator presents itself as a complementary source to the utility’s electrical system, thus reducing the energy consumed
from concentrated generating sources. In this mode, the bidirectional meter measures the energy consumed by the unit from the utility
company or if there is any surplus from the photovoltaic system being injected into the network. When the energy generated exceeds
consumption, the surplus is injected into the network. If consumption is greater than the energy generated, the micro generator will
only pay the difference or use its accumulated credits [14].
Distributed Generation (DG) of electricity is characterized by the use of decentralized generators, installed close to consumption
sites. The distributed model opposes the traditional way of generating electricity based on large plants built in places far from con­
sumers. The use of DG with alternative sources of electricity has grown worldwide. Solar photovoltaic has the greatest potential for use
in Distributed Electricity Generation.
The DG modality includes generation parks built in open areas and also small generators connected to the electrical system and
installed within densely populated urban areas. These generators can be installed in homes and on the roofs of companies, schools and
shopping centers, for example, constituting micro power plants and mini power plants connected to the national electrical system.
These small plants are directly connected to the low-voltage distribution networks, without the need to install transformers or
electricity distribution lines. In addition to providing energy for local consumption, they can indirectly contribute to the generation of
electricity throughout the country. The mass installation of small DG systems contributes to increasing the availability of electricity,
allowing water savings in hydroelectric reservoirs during the dry period. The need to build new large power plants is reduced, con­
sumers’ energy quality can be increased, concessionaires’ investments in transmission lines and distribution systems can be reduced,
for example; better balance between supply and demand, etc.

4. Annual electricity generation and solar energy resource available for installation
From historical data on electricity consumption of a residential building at Sharjah city for the period from July 2020 to June 2021,

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totaling 12 months, it was possible to verify the average and total consumption in kWh/month, with these value ranges between 6000
and 10,000.
In view of the consumption data and considering the minimum availability rate - that which for three-phase group B consumers is
equivalent to 100 kWh/month, the grid-connected PV system should be designed to generate about approximately 6000 kWh/month
or 70,000 kWh/year. Thinking about a future expansion of the institution and the possibility of excess energy being used by other
previously registered units and within the same concession area, a growth factor of 110% in the ideal generated energy was used. As
such, the grid-connected PV system was designed to generate around 12,000 kWh/month or 144,000 kWh/year [15]. To estimate the
production of electrical energy, the total daily energy incident on the surface of the photovoltaic panels must be considered. Thus, a
very convenient way to express the accumulated value of solar energy throughout the day is through the number of Hours of Full Sun
(HSP). This quantity represents the number of hours that solar radiation remains constant or equal to 1,000 W/m2.
According to the point of interest, which in this case are the Sharjah coordinates (25.3462◦ N, 55.4211◦ E), the solar irradiation
value (G) used for the dimensioning will be 5.84 kWh/m2*day, which is equivalent to 5.84 h/day [16].

5. Photovoltaic system
A photovoltaic (PV) system for electric power generation is an integrated set of equipment, photovoltaic panels and other com­
ponents designed to convert solar energy into electricity.
According to their final application, photovoltaic systems can be classified in three ways: connected to the grid (on-grid),
disconnected from the grid (off-grid) and hybrid, which presents more than one source of energy generation. As the objective of this
work is to design a grid-connected photovoltaic system (GCPS), only this process will be detailed.

5.1. Grid-connected photovoltaic system (GCPS)

The GCPS supplies the electrical grid to which they are connected with locally generated electricity and is not equipped with
storage devices. The absence of accumulators reduces the complexity of sizing the system, but the connection to the network brings
complications, as work must be done to adjust the voltage, frequency and reduction of harmonic distortion, so that the electricity
injected into the network is compatible with the provided by the power utility.
The purpose of using this type of system is to generate electricity for local consumption, which can reduce or eliminate the need to
consume from the public grid or even generate surpluses that can be used as credits in months when generation is lower.
According to the definitions, grid-connected PV system can be classified into three categories, according to their size:
- Microgeneration: installed power up to 100 KW;
- Minigeneration: installed capacity between 100 KW and 1 MW;
- Electricity plants: power above 1 MW.

The photovoltaic module is composed of the set of photovoltaic cells, in order to provide higher powers, the cells are grouped,
forming the photovoltaic modules. In turn, the grouped modules form the photovoltaic panels or arrays. The grouping of cells or
modules can be carried out by means of series, parallel or mixed connections, thus obtaining different values of current and voltage.
Series connections increase the available voltage, while parallel connections increase the set current. Among the various materials used
to manufacture photovoltaic cells, monocrystalline silicon (m-Si), polycrystalline silicon (p-Si) and thin films, such as amorphous
silicon (a-Si), microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper-indium-gallium selenide (CuInGaSe2), copper-indium
selenide (CuInSe2) and gallium arsenide (GaAs). There are other more modern technologies, such as organic photovoltaic cells, but
their commercial use is still limited. The different cell technologies available on the market have different costs and efficiencies. With
new technologies in the manufacture and treatment of materials used in the production of modules, the tendency is for the efficiency of
photovoltaic modules to increase over the years. It is important to point out that costs and efficiency are relevant factors when choosing
the panel technology for a project, however aspects such as the type of structure needed to fix the panel or the location where it will be
installed, are also relevant.

5.2. DC-AC inverter

The output of the PV modules is DC and DC-AC inverter is responsible for converting the direct current generated by the PV into
alternating current, so that it can be distributed to the public distribution grid.
Interactive inverters are quite sophisticated and have a complex operation, operating in sync with the grid, that is, providing
current, frequency and alternating voltage values as close as possible to those of the grid. In addition to supplying energy to the grid,
the inverter also meets the needs of the consumer unit, injecting only the surplus into the distribution line.
The most important technical specifications of inverters are their operating limits, their installation requirements, their safety
requirements and their maintenance requirements.
Defining the number of inverters to be used in an GCPS is a process of analyzing technical and commercial information. As far as the
technical side is concerned, the selection of the inverter depends on the type of system and the installation conditions of the modules.
As interactive inverters make up a large part of an GCPS’s investment, their choice is often based on commercial factors, such as:
lower cost, lower taxes or the presence of software to monitor generation.
Whenever possible, the inverters should be installed close to the module’s junction box or close to it, so that the energy losses that
occur through the main DC cable can be reduced, as well as the installation costs. There is also the factor of environmental conditions
that must meet the requirements demanded by the manufacturer, especially in terms of humidity and temperature.

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6. PV system sizing
At first, thinking about maximizing the amount of radiation captured by the photovoltaic modules, the orientation of them is
verified. The best way to install a photovoltaic module is to orient it facing south. Another important observation is the inclination of
the photovoltaic modules that, to obtain maximum energy generation during the year, the inclination angle must be equal to the
latitude of the place where the system will be installed. In this project, the angle used will be 25.3462◦ .
For the installed power of the PV panel, the ratio between productivity (kWh/kWp) and the number of hours of sunlight at 1,000
W/m2 forms the Performance Rate (PR) [17]. A PV system with great performance has a PR of 75% (total loss of 25%). Thus, this value
was adopted for the calculation according to the literature, despite the possibility of existing systems with higher PR. With all values
defined and considering the average annual daily consumption of the building (E) as the 144,000 kWh/year of the previous section for
365 days of the year, Eq. (1) shows that the installed power of the PV system will be of 48.2 kWp.
E 77000
Ppv = = = 48.2kWp (1)
PR ∗ G 0.75 ∗ 5.84
As for the photovoltaic modules, those from LG model LG260S1C-G3 were chosen, with an “A” rating for energy efficiency. They
have a peak power of 260Wp and are of polycrystalline silicon technology with a useful life of at least 25 years, in which 90% of the
nominal power can be extracted over 10 years and 80% after 25 years [18]. The number of modules for installation is given by Eq. (2).
Through this, a quantity of 186 modules is obtained.
Total power 48.2kWp
No. PV modules = = = 186 module (2)
Module power 260W
Table 1 presents the specifications of the chosen panel model.
It is worth noting that the main electrical parameters of a photovoltaic module (VOC, VMPP, ISC and IMPP) are influenced by tem­
perature, which makes it necessary to correct such values for the maximum and minimum temperatures of the place where the system
will be installed. Thus, according to data [20] Sharjah has a minimum ambient temperature (Tamb) of 19 ◦ C and a maximum of 49 ◦ C,
which makes the operating temperature of the modules be determined from Eq. (3). Considering Kt (◦ C/W*m2) the thermal coefficient
for the module (default value of 0.03), the irradiance (G) of 1000 W/m2 for the period in which the temperature is maximum and the
irradiance (G) with zero value in the period in which the temperature is minimum, the minimum module temperature (Tmodulemin) will
be 19 ◦ C and the maximum module temperature (Tmodulemax) of 79 ◦ C.

Tmodule = Tamb + Kt * G (3)

To represent the effect of temperature on the characteristics of the modules, the temperature coefficients present in the manu­
facturers’ data sheets are used. Such effects are calculated according to Eq. (4) to Eq. (8), where T (◦ C) is the module temperature, β
(%/◦ C) the coefficient of variation of the open circuit voltage, β′ (%/◦ C) the coefficient of variation of the maximum power voltage, α
(%/◦ C) the coefficient of variation of the short-circuit current and γ (%/◦ C) the coefficient of variation of the maximum power [21].
VOC (T) = VOCstc [1 + β(T − 25)] (4)

(5)
′
VMPP (T) = VMPPstc [1 + β (T − 25)]

ISC (T) = ISCstc [1 + α(T − 25)] (6)

IMPP (T) = IMPPstc [1 + α(T − 25)] (7)

PMPP (T) = VMPPstc IMPPstc [1 + γ(T − 25)] (8)

The results of these calculations are shown in Table 2.
In what follows, the choice of inverter was made according to the specifications of the PV system to which it is connected. The
inverter must be dimensioned so that it does not work for a long time at powers that are too below the nominal nor is it overloaded

Table 1
Specifications of the LG-260S1C-G3 Photovoltaic Module chosen in the project [19].

Value

Power 260 W
Max Voltage Vmpp 31.2 V
Open circuit Voltage Voc 38.6 V
Max Current Impp 8.35 A
Short Circuit Current Isc 8.82 A
Temperature coefficient %
В − 0.3
β′ − 0.35
А 0.06
Γ − 0.4

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[22]. According to Ref. [23], the inverter operating power range is from 0.75 to 1.2 of the nominal power of the PV generator. Thus, in
this project, we opted for the configuration with a central inverter (modules connected to it) with a nominal power of 40 kW and,
consequently, the ratio between the nominal power of the inverter and the rated power of the PV generator is 0.83.
Therefore, in Table 3 the electrical specifications of the three-phase inverter chosen for this work are presented. In choosing the
inverter, in addition to the nominal power, the input voltage of the inverter, the range of MPPT voltage of the inverter, the maximum
DC input current, and the safety and quality requirements defined by the utility company. In addition, it is important to highlight that
the selected inverter performs the parallelism and synchronism with the electrical network automatically, already containing the anti-
islanding protections. Regarding the voltage and configuration limits of the modules, first, the maximum number of modules per row is
verified. This is determined so that the voltage in the row is less than the voltage range of the DC input of the inverter. In the case of the
inverter input maximum voltage, it will occur during open circuit operation at a temperature of 19 ◦ C, as can be seen in Table 2. Thus,
and according to Eq. (9), the maximum number of modules is 25 modules.
Vmaxinv 1100
No of series modules = = = 28.5 (9)
VOC19 38.6

The number of modules connected in series can be found as per Eq. (10). It is noticed that a minimum of 19 modules connected in series
at the inverter input and a maximum, according to the inverter MPPT voltage range, 27 modules per row are necessary for the PV
system to operate correctly.
Vmppinvmin Vmppinvmax 454 850
≤ No of series modules ≤ ≤ No of series modules ≤ ≤ 26.69 (10)
Vmpp79 Vmpp19 24.65 31.85

To find the maximum number of rows connected in parallel, just find the ratio between the maximum rated DC current of the
inverter (IMAXinv-cc) and the rated DC current of the corrected row (ISC79 ◦ C) according to Eq. (11).
As a result, consider 2 rows connected in parallel.
ImaxinvDC 22
No of parallel = = (11)
ISC79 8.5
To check if the PV arrangement is compatible with the inverter, it is necessary to analyze if the voltages of each row are respecting
the maximum and minimum limits of the MPPT voltage operating range and that the current in the rows does not exceed the maximum
DC current of the inverter. For the calculations, we consider values from Table 2, 24 modules per row, 2 rows and Eq. (12) to Eq. (16).

VoCmpp19 = 27 *31.85V = 859.95 (12)

VoCmpp79 = 27 *24.65 = 665.5V (13)

VoCoc19 = 27 *39.29 = 1060 V (14)

IoCsc79 = 2 *8.5 = 17 A (15)

IoCMPP79 = 2 *8.65 = 17.3 A (16)

Through Table 4 it is possible to compare the parameters and conclude that the PV array is compatible with the inverter.
Therefore, one has possession of the total number of modules, that is, 192 modules; 24 modules per row and 2 rows for each inverter
input for a total of 8 rows. In this way, it is possible to assemble the arrangement of the photovoltaic system as shown in Fig. 2.

7. Expected power generation

The estimation of energy generation is done through the analysis of parameters involving the solar energy that affects the location
where the PV modules will be installed, that is, the product between the ideal generated energy and the performance rate of the system.
The ideal energy generated is the product of PV module Power, the number of days in the month and the number of hours of full sun
(HSP (h/day)). Thus, in Table 5 the values of ideal and real energy estimated for each month of the year are presented.
It is noted that the annual generation meets the criteria established in section 3, generating approximately 123,992 kWh/year
annually, that is, the energy consumed annually will be fully compensated, in addition to generating a 20% surplus, which can be used
by other consumer units or in case of possible expansion.

Table 2
Electrical parameters of PV modules corrected as a function of maximum and minimum ambient temperatures.

Parameters Minimum T. 19 Maximum T. 79 ◦ C

Open Circuit Voltage (VOC) 38.60 V 33.42 V

MPPT Voltage (VMPP) 32.77 V 27.65 V
Short Circuit Current (ISC) 8.79 A 9.13 A
MPPT Current (IMPP) 8.31 A 8.65 A
MPPT Power (PMPP) 266.24 WP 197.6 WP

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Table 3
Inverter electrical specifications.

Inverter data value

Inverter CanadianSolar CSI-40KTL-GI-FL

PV Output DC
Max. PV Power 48,000 W
Max. DC Input Voltage 1100 V
Start-up DC Input Voltage (Minimum Power) 200 V
Number of MPP trackers 4
Max. Input Current (Isc) 137.2 A (34.3 A per MPPT)
Max. MPPT Input Current (IMP) 88 A (22 A per MPPT)
MPPT Full Power Voltage Range 454-850 VDC
Number of MPPT 4
Output
Number of Phases Three-Phase
Rated AC Output Power 40,000 W
Max. AC Output Power 44,000 W
Rated Output Voltage 380/400 V
Nominal AC Output Current @480 Vac 60.8/58 A
Max. Current (IACMAX) 41.7 A
Current THD <3%
Rated Output Frequency 50–60 Hz
Efficiency 98.4%

Table 4
Inverter electrical specifications.

PV Inverter Compatibility

Parameter Value Parameter Value

VMPP min (79◦ C) 663.60 V VMPP min 480 V Meets
VMPP max (19◦ C) 786.50 V VMPP max 900 V Meets
VOC max (19◦ C) 926.40 V VCC max 1000 V Meets
ISC Max (79◦ C) 34 A ICC Max 34.3 A Meets
IMPP max (79◦ C) 34.6 A IMPPmax 35 A Meets

8. Economic viability
To carry out the project’s feasibility analysis, it is necessary to determine the costs involved for the implementation of the proposed
PV system. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out commercial research with the current values of the photovoltaic panels and the
inverter. However, according to Ref. [24], to determine the total value of the investment, it is necessary to take into account, in
addition to the panels and inverter, the value of the electrical project, the charges of the company responsible for the installation, the
value of the interconnection with the electrical network already existing, the protective equipment, and the cost of installation as
shown in Table 6.
As for the payback, this is a simple economic indicator, used to assess the attractiveness of an investment, as it determines its
recovery period [25–30]. Therefore, according to Eq. (17) and considering the tariff for this value is USD/kWh 0.124 [31–40]. It has up
to a payback of approximately 3 years and 6 months.
Total cost 53395
Payback = = = 3.6 year (17)
tariff ∗ total energy 0.12 ∗ 123992
For the project to stay flexible, well-managed, and profitable, a reliable metric must be used to predict the cash flowing into and out
of the project. Cash is the main driving force behind the success of any new endeavor, both in terms of getting it off the ground and
keeping it going. Fig. 3 indicates that pay back duration becomes 3.6 year, which indicates feasible results as compared to previous
financial viability.

9. Conclusions
The study of the dimensioning of a grid-connected PV system was based on the technical, quality and safety requirements. As a
result, the photovoltaic arrangement composed of 192 modules, model LG of 260Wp, divided into 8 rows each containing 24 modules,
was determined. An operating temperature range from 19 to 79 ◦ C was considered - since the operating temperature of the PV modules
affects the efficiency of the grid-connected PV system to verify the compatibility of the PV arrangement with the 48.2 kW inverter
model 4 inputs with MPPT and in each one 2 rows will be connected in parallel. Within the feasibility study, the same was carried out in
a simplified way in this project, an economic indicator: the payback. The payback time for the investment is approximately 3 years and
6 months, which represents a short payback time in relation to the useful life of the photovoltaic panels, which is 25 years. The
calculation can also take into account the average annual increase in the cost of energy on the grid, the cost of accessing the network
and the average annual degradation of the system, obtaining a more coherent value for each region.

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A.G. Abo-Khalil et al. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 45 (2023) 102903

Fig. 2. Arrangement of the connected photovoltaic system to the electrical grid.

Table 5
Estimated electric power generation.

MONTH ACTIVE CONSUMPTION (kWh) TOTAL MONTHLY GENERATION (kWh/month)

January 6250 8965

February 7410 8772
March 8730 9712
April 8100 10,122
May 9040 10,845
June 10,400 11,568
July 10,200 11,953
August 10,150 11,953
September 9700 11,568
October 8580 10,459
November 7200 9399
December 6310 8676
Total 102,070 123,992

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A.G. Abo-Khalil et al. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 45 (2023) 102903

Table 6
Initial cost of installation

EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES COSTS

Inverter LG USD 5500

PV modules USD 25000
Fixing and support USD 2000
Project cost (20% of PV and inverter cost) USD 6100
Integration to the grid (2.5% of PV and inverter cost) USD 765
Protection panel (4% of PV and inverter cost) USD 1220
Electrical installation of panels (2.0% of PV and inverter cost) USD 610
Others (40% of PV and inverter cost) USD 12200
Total Initial investment USD 53395

Fig. 3. Cumulative cash flows diagram for the studied system.

Author statement
Ahmed G. Abo-Khalil: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, validation. Khairy Sayed: Data curation, writing- Reviewing,
and Editing. Ali Radwan: Writing- Reviewing and Editing, Writing Original draft preparation. Ibrahim I. A. El-Sharkawy: Writing-
Reviewing, and Editing, Writing Original draft preparation.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to
influence the work reported in this paper.

Data availability

Data will be made available on request.

Acknowledgment
This research was funded by the university of Sharjah research fund No. (22020406202).

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