Design and Simulation of an off Grid Solar Photovoltaic System for a Radio Broadcasting Station in Maiduguri

Zakariya Bukar KIRAWA1 and Kaltum Baba Isa2

1Federal University Gashua, Nigeria

2Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria

*Corresponding author’s Email: zakariyakirawa@gmail.com, doi.org/10.55639/607.020100106


ABSTRACT

The attacks on transmission towers along the Maiduguri-Damaturu and Maiduguri-Damboa routes in Nigeria since 2021 have isolated Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno state, from the national grid, forcing communication and radio stations to rely on diesel generators, which are obviously uneconomical. This study presents a design and simulation of an off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) system for Al-Ansar Radio and Television Station in Maiduguri. The station’s load profile was obtained from the station and used to determine the size of the photovoltaic system. The results of the system sizing were used to simulate system performance in BlueSol. Based on a 36 kW load profile and daily operation of 8-12 hours, the system’s energy demand is estimated at 224 kWh/day. The proposed PV system comprised a 54 kW PV array, 134 PV modules, a 13,566 Ah battery bank, and a 75 kVA inverter. Simulations using BlueSol software indicate that the system can meet the station’s energy needs, producing 101,932.73 kWh annually, with a minimum of 6896.95kWh in August, presumably due to cloudy weather, and a maximum of 9900.82kWh in March, with clear skies and high solar irradiance. While load profiles may vary across stations, this approach is easily adaptable, enabling accurate performance forecasting before implementation and making it a viable model for other radio, television, and ICT centres seeking sustainable energy solutions.

KEYWORDS

Energy demand,
Inverter,
Module,
Battery bank.

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