Generating capacity adequacy evaluation of small stand-alone power systems containing solar energy

This paper presents a time sequential simulation method for generating capacity adequacy evaluation of small stand-alone power systems containing solar energy (PSCSE) operating in parallel with battery storage. The reliability performance of such a system is quite different from one containing only conventional generation. This is due to the chronological random nature of the solar radiation level and the dependencies associated with the power output of every photovoltaic (PV) generating unit at the site location. The adequacy of a PSCSE depends on various factors such as the solar radiation level, the battery size and charging (discharging) capability, the failure/repair characteristics of the diesel generator (DG) and the PV unit, the system load profile and peak load and the solar energy penetration level in the system etc. The methodologies, results and discussions presented in this paper should provide valuable information to utilities involved in planning and operating stand-alone systems utilizing both conventional and solar energy.