Performance evaluation of 830 kWp grid-connected photovoltaic power plant at Kamuzu International Airport - Malawi

Abstract

The overall performance of the 830 kWp ground-mounted grid-connected PV power plant at Kamuzu International Airport in Malawi has been evaluated on monthly and yearly basis over the monitoring period of four years, from September 2013 to August 2017. Each full year in this period (2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017) was from September to August. The derived performance parameters included reference yield, array yield, nal yield, capture losses, system losses, array efficiency, inverter efficiency, overall system efficiency, performance ratio and capacity factor. The performance of the PV power plant was simulated using PVsyst software with measured and Meteonorm long-term average weather data sets, inverter and PV module speci cations as inputs. The variation of weather data was analyzed. The measured monthly four-year average array, inverter and overall system e ciencies ranged from 14.4 to 16.0%, 94.3 to 96.0% and 13.8 to 15.2%, respectively. The annual four-year average array, inverter and overall system e ciencies were 15.3%, 95.2% and 14.6%, respectively. The monthly four-year average capacity factor ranged from 14.6 to 20.9% with an annual average of 17.7%. The yearly performance ratios were 75%, 84%, 81% and 78%, in the years 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, respectively. The annual four-year average performance ratio was 79.5%. The performance of the grid-connected PV power plant compared well with that of representative PV power plants reported elsewhere.