Design and Analysis of a 1MW GridConnected Solar PV System in Ghana
WORKING PAPER SERIES No. 78

ATPS (2013): Design and Analysis of a 1MW Grid-Connected Solar PV System in Ghana. ATPS Working Paper No. 78

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ATPS (2013): Design and Analysis of a 1MW Grid-Connected Solar PV System in Ghana. ATPS Working Paper No. 78

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Design and Analysis of a 1MW Grid-Connected
Solar PV System in Ghana

Ebenezer Nyarko Kumi
The Energy Center
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Kumasi-Ghana
Abeeku Brew-Hammond
The Energy Center
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Kumasi-Ghana	  ATPS (2013): Design and Analysis of a 1MW Grid-Connected Solar PV System in Ghana. ATPS Working Paper No. 78

3This paper should be cited as:
African Technology Policy Studies Network, ATPS 2013: Design and Analysis of a 1MW GridConnected Solar PV System in Ghana [Ebenezer Nyarko Kumi, Abeeku Brew-Hammond],
ATPS WORKING PAPER No. 78© 2013Published by the African Technology Policy Studies Network

ISBN: 978-9966-030-56-6

ATPS (2013): Design and Analysis of a 1MW Grid-Connected Solar PV System in Ghana. ATPS Working Paper No. 78

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Table of Contents
Acknowledgement								

6Abstract										

7

1.

Introduction								

8

2.

Literature Review								

10

3.

Methodology								12

4.

Analysis of Results							

14

5.

Conclusion and Recommendation						

18References									

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Acknowledgement
This report was produced as part of the implementation of the African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS) Phase VI Strategic Plan, 2008 – 2012 funded by ATPS Donors
including theMinisterie van Buitenlandse Zaken (DGIS) the Netherlands and the Rockefeller
Foundation. The authors hereby thank the ATPS for the financial and technical support during
the implementation of the program. The Authors specially thank Prof. Kevin Chika Urama,
the ATPS Executive Director for his visionary leadership as Program Director; Prof. Atieno
Ndede-Amadi, Program Coordinator; Dr. Nicholas Ozor, Senior Research Officer, ATPS;
Mr. Ernest Nti Acheampong, ATPS Research Officer and the ATPS Team for the technicalsupport during the research process.

ATPS (2013): Design and Analysis of a 1MW Grid-Connected Solar PV System in Ghana. ATPS Working Paper No. 78

6Abstract
This study aimed at developing a standard procedure for the design of large-scaleinstitutional grid-connected solar PV systems using the roofs of buildings and car parks. The
standard procedure developed was validated in the design of a 1MW grid-connected solar
PV system for Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana.
The performance of the 1MW grid-connected solar PV system was also simulated over theguaranteed life of the system using RETScreen Clean Energy Project Analysis software,
designed by Natural Resources Canada. The project began with a prefeasibility study ofa 1MW grid-conducted solar PV system using RETScreen software which has a broad
database of meteorological data including global daily horizontal solar irradiance and also a
database of various renewable energy systems components from different manufacturers.
An extensive literature review of solar PV systems with a special focus on grid-connected
systems was conducted after which the procedure for the design of institutional large-scale
grid connected solar PV systems was developed. The developed procedure was used in
the design of a 1MW grid-connected solar PV system for KNUST-Ghana. The technical andfinancial performances of the 1MW grid-connected solar PV system were simulated using
the RETScreen software. The preliminary analyses of the simulation results showed that the
project is socially beneficial to the community in this case the university with an annual energy
yield of about 1,159MWh, which is about 12% of KNUST’s annual electricity consumption.
The process of electricity generation from solar PV saves about 792 tonnes of CO2. The yieldfactor, performance ratio and capacity factor were other technical performance parametersconsidered. Under the prevailing tariff conditions in the country, the project is not financially
viable without incentives such as grants and feed-in tariffs.

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1. Introduction
This study is being conducted with the aim of developing a standard procedure for the designof large-scale institutional grid-connected solar PV (Photovoltaic) systems using the roofs ofbuildings and car parks. The standard procedure developed will be validated in the design ofa 1MW grid-connected solar PV system for KNUST (Kwame Nkrumah University of Scienceand Technology)-Ghana. The performance of the 1MW grid-connected solar PV system
will also be simulated over the guaranteed life of the system using solar PV planning andsimulation software packages such as PVSyst and RETScreen.
The study is necessary because Ghana has experienced a number of power crises over thelast two decades, mainly due to the heavy reliance on hydroelectric power which is more
often than not dependent on the rain fall pattern of the country. It has been estimated that gridelectricity demand would grow from about 6,900GWh to 18,000GWh between 2000 and 2015
and even up to about 24,000GWh by the year 2020 (Energy Commission, 2006). In orderfor Ghana to ensure secured uninterrupted electricity supply by the year 2020, the existing
installed capacity of 1760MW must be doubled (Energy Commission, 2006). The economy of
Ghana must grow at a GDP of between 8-10% if it is to attain the status of a middle income
country and these growth rates require significant amount of electricity (Brew-Hammond etal., 2007). The government of Ghana has targeted 10% of the country’s electricity generationfrom renewable energy and this will come mainly from solar, small and medium sized hydros,
wind, biomass and municipal solid wastes (Energy Commission, 2006).
A look at the world map of mean solar radiations reveal that, Africa as a continent receives thehighest amounts of solar radiation between 300 and 350 W/m2 annually (Brew-Hammond etal., 2008). This makes the African continent of which Ghana is a part, exceptionally suitable
for solar energy projects. In spite of this huge potential, Africa still trails the rest of the worldin terms of solar energy applications and energy services in general; thus referred globally as
the Dark Continent in general; thus referred globally as the Dark Continent.
Grid-connected solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems employ the direct conversion of sunlight into
electricity which is fed directly into the electricity grid without storage in batteries. This will
be a very good way to boost the existing electricity production capacity in the country, which
is mainly from hydro and thermal sources. This will contribute positively to the worsening
energy situation in the country. Solar energy, being a renewable source, will also provide
energy without pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. This can go a long way to help
mitigate the adverse effect of global warming as well as contribute to sustainable energy
development. It will also set the pace for similar projects to be developed in other institutions
thereby helping attain the target of 10% renewable energy in the electricity generation mix
set by the government.
The main objective of the project is to design a 1MW grid-connected solar photovoltaic
system for KNUST-Ghana using the roofs of buildings and car parks and to analyze thetechnical and financial performances based on the results of simulation software packages.
The specific objectives are as follows:• To develop a standard procedure for the development of institutional large scale gridconnected solar PV systems.
This would include;• An assessment of area required• Assessing the suitability of roofs of buildings and car parks for orientation, pitch,shading effects, etc
ATPS (2013): Design and Analysis of a 1MW Grid-Connected Solar PV System in Ghana. ATPS Working Paper No. 78

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•
•

To test the developed procedure in the design of a 1MW grid-connected solar PV system
in KNUST-Ghana
To simulate the performance of the 1MW grid-connected solar PV system using suitablesoftware packages and conducting technical as well as financial analysis based on thesoftware simulation results

ATPS (2013): Design and Analysis of a 1MW Grid-Connected Solar PV System in Ghana. ATPS Working Paper No. 78

92. Literature Review
Photovoltaic systems are solar energy supply systems, which convert sunlight directly toelectricity. The chief component in PV systems is the solar panel which is formed by putting
together several PV cells. Putting together several PV cells forms a PV module; several
modules form arrays and several arrays form panels. The modular nature of PV cells makes
it possible for them to be used for a wide range of power applications ranging from a few
milliwatts in wrist watches and scientific calculators to several megawatts in central power
stations. Solar cells are usually made of semiconductor materials such as silicon, gallium
arsenide, cadmium telluride or copper indium diselenide (DGS, 2008).
Solar cells come in two major forms based on the nature of the material used in theirproduction. The two main forms are crystalline solar cells and thin film solar cells. Crystalline
solar cells, so far, have the highest conversion efficiencies when it comes to photovoltaic cells
and the main types are monocrystalline and polycrystalline cells (DGS, 2008). Thin film cells,
although less efficient than crystalline silicon offer greater promise for large-scale power
generation because of ease of mass-production and lower materials cost. The commonest
example of thin film cells is the amorphous silicon cell (DGS, 2008).
Photovoltaic systems can be grouped into two main groups; namely off-grid systems andgrid-connected systems (DGS, 2008).
Off-Grid Systems
Off-grid PV systems, as the name implies, are systems that are not connected to the public
electricity grid. These systems require an energy storage system for the energy generated
because the energy generated is not usually required at the same time as it is generated(DGS, 2008). In other words, solar energy is available during the day, but the lights in astand-alone solar lighting system are used at night so the solar energy generated during the
day must be stored for use in the night. They are mostly used in areas where it is not possible
to install an electricity supply from the mains utility grid, or where this is not cost-effective ordesirable. They are therefore preferable for developing countries where vast areas are still
frequently not supplied by an electrical grid. Off-grid systems are usually employed in thefollowing applications; consumer applications such as watches and scientific calculators,
industrial applications such as telecommunications and traffic signs and remote habitations
such as solar home systems and water pumping applications.
A typical off-grid system comprises the following main components:• Solar PV Modules: these convert sunlight directly to electricity.
• Charge Controllers: manage the charging and discharging of the batteries in order tomaximize their lifetimes and minimize operational problems• Battery or Battery Bank: Stores the energy generated by the PV modules• Inverter: converts the DC current generated by the solar PV modules to AC current for
AC consumer load (DGS, 2008).
Grid-Connected PV Systems
Grid-connected systems are systems connected to a large independent grid usually the
public electricity grid and feed power directly into the grid. These systems are usuallyemployed in decentralised grid-connected PV applications and centralized grid-connected
ATPS (2013): Design and Analysis of a 1MW Grid-Connected Solar PV System in Ghana. ATPS Working Paper No. 78

10PV applications (DGS, 2008). Decentralised grid-connected PV applications include rooftop
PV generators, where the PV systems are mounted on rooftops of buildings and incorporated
into the building’s integrated system (DGS, 2008). In the case of residential or building
mounted grid connected PV systems, the electricity demand of the building is served by the
PV system and the excess is fed into the grid; their capacities are usually in the lower rangeof kilowatts (DGS, 2008).
•••

A typical grid-connected PV system comprises the following components:
Solar PV Modules: these convert sunlight directly to electricity.
Inverter: converts the DC current generated by the solar PV modules to AC current for
the utility grid.
• Main disconnect/isolator Switch• Utility Grid
Central grid-connected PV applications have capacities ranging from the higher kilowatts tothe megawatt range (DGS, 2008).
Solar PV is currently the fastest growing power generation technology in the world with about
38,584MW capacity installed in the year 2010. In all, Europe alone contributes about 70%of the total installed capacity of PV systems with North America, Japan, China and Australia
following in that order (EPIA et al 2010). Grid-connected systems make up the majority ofthese figures and this is as a result of favourable incentives such as feed-in tariff schemes,
tax rebates and investment subsidies. (EPIA et al, 2010; REN21, 2011)
The solar PV industry has also seen tremendous improvement in cell efficiencies for thevarious technologies available on commercial scale. This improvement in technology andthe continuous growth of the PV market has led to drastic reduction in the cost of solar PV
systems on the global market (EPIA et al, 2010).
The situation on the African continent is however not encouraging, with Africa contributing
less than 1% of the world’s installed solar PV systems (installed capacity of 163MW as at
the end of 2010), in spite of the huge solar energy potential available to the continent (BrewHammond et al., 2008). This is as a result of the lack of policy instruments that help promoterenewable energy technologies in general and also the very high initial capital involved indeveloping solar PV systems. Grid-connected solar PV systems are not that popular in Africa
since most solar PV applications are employed in off-grid rural electrification projects to ruralcommunities (for lighting, educational and health applications) that are far from the national
grid. (EPIA et al, 2010).
The situation in Ghana is not so different from the rest of the Africa continent with mostsolar PV systems employed in off-grid rural electrification projects. The Energy Commissionof Ghana is however leading efforts to promote grid-connected solar PV in the country by
partly sponsoring individuals and institutions to install grid connected solar PV and windenergy systems with capacities not less than 75kWp. The commission is also spearheading
development of a renewable energy law for the country which will provide incentives for thedevelopment of renewable energy technologies in the country including grid-connected solar
PV. The Energy Commission and KNUST both have installed 4kWp grid-connected solar PV
systems each, donated by the German state of North Rhine Westphalia to aid in research
into grid-connected solar PV systems (MoE, 2010; Energy Commission, 2011).

ATPS (2013): Design and Analysis of a 1MW Grid-Connected Solar PV System in Ghana. ATPS Working Paper No. 78

113. Methodology
The project began with a literature review of solar photovoltaic systems. This was followed bya simple prefeasibility study (using RETScreen or other suitable software) to obtain an ideaof the amount of energy that will be generated by the system, estimate the total space (area)
required for the installation of the system and access the economics of the whole project.
A draft procedure for the design of grid-connected systems was prepared which will be
updated from time to time (in the course of the design of the 1MW grid-connected system for
KNUST-Ghana) until a standard procedure is developed which can be used to replicate thedesign of large-scale grid-connected solar PV systems in other institutions.
The draft procedure comprises the following steps;
1. Assessment of the solar radiation data for the location from various institutions suchas the American Space Agency (NASA), the Joint Research Commission (JRC) of theEuropean Commission and UNEP which helps to estimate the amount of electricity
generated. Most simulation software packages also have inbuilt solar radiation data
which can be used for this same purpose.
2. Obtain a land use map of the location showing the various sites that can be used for the
project.
3. Confirm the various locations on the land use map and update where necessary.
4. Identify various building roofs and car parks that can be used for the project based on aminimum roof area.
5. Identify grid access and requirement for grid connection
6. Obtain the dimensions of the roofs of the selected buildings and car parks to be used.
7. Assessment of roof properties such as roof type, roof area, roof orientation, pitch/slope,strength of roof and the effect of shading on the roofs.
8. Selection of suitable roofs and collation the total area available PV system design.
9. Obtain solar PV information from various solar dealers both locally and internationally.
This information should include; type, cost, size, weight, etc
10. Design the layout of the system for each of the selected building roofs
This draft procedure was followed in the design of a 1MW grid-connected solar PV system
for KNUST-Ghana and update where necessary. A Simulation of the technical and financial
performance of the design was conducted using planning and simulation PC software
packages; PVSyst, developed by the Group of Energy of the Institute for the Sciences of
the Environment of the University of Geneva in Switzerland and RETScreen Clean Energy
Project Analysis Software, developed by Natural Resources Canada. The draft procedure
will be updated based with the information gathered from the various components of thedesign until a standard procedure which can be used to replicate the design of such gridconnected PV systems is obtained.
Design of a 1MW grid-connected PV system
The design of the 1MW solar PV systems was based on the procedure developed in themethodology. Three solar radiation datasets; Solar and Wind Resource Assessment(SWERA) which was developed by the Mechanical Engineering Department of KNUST, for
ATPS (2013): Design and Analysis of a 1MW Grid-Connected Solar PV System in Ghana. ATPS Working Paper No. 78

12the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), satellite data from the American Space
Agency NASA (used in the RETScreen Software) and also PVGIS-Helioclim developed by
the European Commission were compared. The radiation data from SWERA was chosen forthe study because it comes from actual ground measurements of the solar radiation.
In all, 54 buildings with a total area of 34,292m2 were assessed based on the criteria
mentioned in the methodology out of which 24 buildings with a total roof area of about
9,120m2 facing the south were selected. South facing roofs were selected because theyreceive the highest amount of radiation.
An assessment of solar PV components was then conducted with information from various
manufacturer out of which the most cost effective components were selected. Table 1 gives
a summary of some of the basic design parameters used in the design of the 1MW gridconnected solar PV system.
Table 1: Summary of the basic design parameters for the 1MW grid-connected solar
PV system
Meteo Data
Daily horizontal irradiation

4.30kWh/m2/day

Building Orientation
Number of Buildings selected

13

Total Roof Area

9,120m2

Roof Pitch

15o

Roof orientation

South

Module-Inverter Details
Module Type

Polycrystalline (Sharp ND-U235Q2)

Module capacity

240Wp

Module Efficiency

14.4%

Total Installed Module capacity

1000kWp

Number of modules

4,255

Inverter Capacity

1000kW

Inverter Efficiency

97%

Number of inverters

13

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4. Analysis of Results
The analysis of the preliminary results includes the technical and financial analysis for the“Design and Analysis of a 1MW Grid-Connected Solar PV System KNUST-Ghana” and thiswas carried out with the help of two planning and simulation PC software packages.
Technical Analysis
The technical analysis was done with the help of PVsyst software, a PC software package
for the study, sizing, simulation and data analysis of complete PV systems. The software has
an extensive database of meteorological data for different locations, system components andtheir specifications from manufacturers and simulates the performance of the PV system,taking into consideration the various possible losses.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) Photovoltaic Power Systems Program outlines theparameters used to describe energy quantities for PV systems and their components. These
parameters include the total energy yield, the yield factor, the performance ration and thecapacity factor and they help in the comparison of similar projects to determine which works
best. The total energy yield is the total amount of energy generated by the system and in thecase of grid-connected PV systems, the total amount of electricity that is injected into theutility grid. The result of the simulation shows that, the total energy to be generated by the
1MW grid-connected solar PV system is estimated at 1,159MWh/year. This is about 12% of
KNUST’s annual electricity consumption. Figure 1 shows the average monthly energy yieldfor the system.

Figure 1: Average monthly energy yield of the proposed 1MW PV system
Yield Factor (YF) refers to the plant’s specific performance in net kWh delivered to the grid
per kW of installed nominal PV module power. This is also equivalent to the number of fullload hours for the plant.

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The reference yield, Yr, is the ratio of the total irradiance reaching the surface of the PV array(in-plane irradiance) to the PV array’s reference irradiance (which is 1,000W/m2 for STC).
Performance ratio (PR) is defined as the actual amount of PV energy delivered to the gridin a given period, divided by the theoretical amount according to STC data of the modules.
Performance ratios of 70% and above are considered to be very good performing systems.
The Capacity factor of a power plant is the ratio of the actual output of a power plant over a
period of time and its potential output if it had operated at full nameplate capacity the entire
time. Table 2 gives a summary of the key results.
Table 2: Summary of the key technical results for the proposed 1MW system
Performance at the inverter output
Output

Unit

Total

Energy Yield

MWh/year

1,159

Yield Factor

kWh/Kwp/year

1,163

Reference Yield

hours

1,565

Performance Ratio

%

74.30

Capacity factor

%

13.2

Economic Analysis
The economic analysis of the 1MW grid-connected solar PV system was carried out toassess the cost and intended benefits of the project. It was carried out with the help of
RETScreen software. The software is easy to use and has the capability of simulating thenet present value and simple payback period as well as estimating the greenhouse gas
saving potential of renewable energy projects over their entire operational life. The NPV
and simple payback period will help determine how feasible the project will be. The total
investment cost comprises the following components; module, inverter, cables, mounting
structures, engineering and project management, labour and miscellaneous costs. The costsof the various solar PV components used for this study were international estimates takenfrom renowned online solar PV research firms such as Solarbuzz (solar market research
and analysis), SolarServer (an online portal to solar energy) and Greentech Media Inc. The
module and inverter cost alone makes up about 76% of the total investment cost. Table 3
contains a breakdown of the total investment cost. The total investment cost for the 1MW
project is estimated at US$5,000,000.

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Table 3: Cost breakdown for the Grid-Connected Solar PV system
Component

Cost (US$/W)

Module

3.10

Inverter

0.72

Cables

0.15

Mountings

0.25

Engineering & Project Management

0.10

Labour

0.25

Miscellaneous

0.43

Total

5.00

The economic analysis for this work was done by first developing a base case scenario
consisting of the present electricity cost and other financial parameters. Subsequentscenarios were then developed from this base case to help analyse the implications of thevarious financing options on the project. Some of the options considered include grants/
capital subsidies, feed-in tariffs (FiT) and carbon credit financing. The parameters used todevelop the base case include:
Table 4: Parameter for base case scenario
Solar PV system cost			Operating and Maintenance Cost
Electricity Export Rate		Project Life				Discount Rate				Inflation Rate				Grant/Capital Subsidy			GHG Credit				

US$5.00/W
US$0.01/kWh
US$0.08/kWh (Bulk generation charge)
25years (solar panel guarantee period)
10%
0%
0%
US$0/tonne

It is interesting to note that, the base case scenario results in a simple payback period of
about 62 years, which is more than twice the project life. However, applying a feed-in tariff
scheme to the base case scenario as show in figure 2 indicates that it is possible for the
project to be paid for within its lifetime with a feet-in tariff of about US$0.20/kWh.

ATPS (2013): Design and Analysis of a 1MW Grid-Connected Solar PV System in Ghana. ATPS Working Paper No. 78

16Figure 2: Feed-in tariff scenario

ATPS (2013): Design and Analysis of a 1MW Grid-Connected Solar PV System in Ghana. ATPS Working Paper No. 78

175. Conclusion and Recommendations
The draft procedure developed touches on some very important issues to be considered in
the design of institutional large-scale grid connected solar PV systems using roofs of buildings and car parks. Notable among these design steps are the assessment of the solar radiation data for the location, the identification and assessment of the roofs of buildings as wellas the subsequent selection of suitable roofs, selection of solar PV system components andfinally, designing the layout of the grid-connected PV system.
In designing the 1MW grid-connected solar PV system for KNUST-Ghana, the draft procedure developed was followed critically. A practical assessment of the various items was
conducted and the lessons drawn from them used to update the draft procedure. At the endof the design of the 1MW grid-connected PV system for KNUST-Ghana, a standard procedure should be developed which can be used to design large-scale grid-connected solar PV
systems.
Analyses of the simulation results show that, the project when implemented will supply about
1,159MWh electricity annually, which is about 12% of KNUST’s annual electricity consumption. The project also stands the chance of saving about 792 tonnes of CO2 which would
have been emitted by a crude oil fired thermal power plant generating the same amount ofelectricity. At the prevailing tariff conditions in the country, this project can be considered as
not financially viable except with feed-in tariff scheme or other incentives such as grants/
capital subsidies are applied. However, the other non-financial benefits like the greenhousegas emissions savings can, in the long run, help mitigate the adverse effects of the climatechange problem plaguing the entire earth.

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3. Methodology
Study Area
The study area of this research is situated in the upper Blue Nile catchment of Ethiopia.
It is located approximately between coordinate 10033’06’’ to 10050’24’’ North latitude and37042’36’’ to 37058’24’’ East longitude. It covers a total estimated area of 58122.94 hectares
and with the total population of about 132069. Topographically, the area lies in the altitudes
range of 878m to 4000m.a.s.l (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Location of the study area (Source: Choke Mountain Initiative project
document, 2010)

As a result of this the area is characterized by three distinct agro-ecological zones- Dega,
Weynadega, and Kola. According to the traditional classification system, which mainly relies
on altitude and temperature for classification, Ethiopia has five climatic zones (Table 1).
The information which is obtained in Weredas’ Agricultural Offices revealed that the rainfall
amount and temperature of the area ranges from 385 -1300mm, and 10- 26oC respectively.
The area gets monomodal type of rain fall (that is Kirmt rain fall regime). The soil types wereidentified based on their colors (red, brown, black and grey); on the average percentage,
about 60 %, 39 %, 36% and 2.5% are brown, red, black and grey soil respectively. The
cultivated land covers a total area of 34161.93 ha of the area. The major annual crops
cultivated in the catchment are barley, Avena species (Ingedo), wheat, beans, peas, potato,maize, and sorghum. The common domestic animals in the area are cattle, sheep, goats,horses, mules, donkeys, and poultry.
Table 1: Traditional climatic zones and their physical characteristics
Zone

Altitude(meters)

Rainfall(mm/year)

Average temperature(Co)

Wurch(upper highland)

3200 plus

900- 2,200>11.5

Dega(highlands)

2,300- 3,200

900- 1,200

17.1/16.0- 11.5

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