Long term performance analysis of a 19.8kWp standalone photovoltaic system in a remote island

Abstract

This study investigates the long term operation performance of a 19.8kWp standalone photovoltaic (PV) system on a remote island of Hong Kong. After several months of testing and commissioning, the environmental and operating data of the system from August 2010 to July 2012 were collected. The evaluation results show that the PV plant worked very effectively during the reporting period. This study suggests that the residents should be trained for better utilization of the energy from the PV array and battery bank based on weather condition and battery bank status. The result also indicates the limitation of this standalone PV system, suggesting that it would be better to develop or integrate it into a microgrid system if possible.