Feasibility of Solar Energy for AMISR Observatory
AMISR in Africa Conference
Boston College, March 1-3
A. Weaver, J. Sliker, Renovus Energy, Ithaca NY
Feasibility of Solar Energy for AMISR Observatory
Design parameters ~ Energy usage
100 - 200 kW average
1000 - 2000 kW peak power consumption with 5% duty cycle
This means...
0.95h x 150 kW = 142 kWh
0.05h x 1500 kW = 75 kWh
= 217 kWh energy usage (per hour of radar operation)
Possible range is 145 kWh – 290 kWh
Feasibility of Solar Energy for AMISR Observatory
Design parameters ~ Solar generation
Insolation ~6h/day @ <1000 W/m²> for Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Efficiency factor ~0.6 for PV systems with battery storage
= 3.6 h/d effective insolation for this site
This means...
6h/day x 0.6 x 100 kW
= 360 kWh/day (per 100 kW of PV solar generation)
Each 100 kW of PV solar will require ~500 kWh of battery capacity
- so batteries can recover ~2/3 of total capacity in an average solar day
- full battery recovery is necessary for system performance + longevity
Feasibility of Solar Energy for AMISR Observatory
Design parameters ~ Solar generation
Generation
capacity
Storage
capacity
Daily
energy
production
Daily
operating
hours
Annual
operating
hours
100 kW
500 kWh
360 kWh/d
1.7 h
606 h/yr
200 kW
1000 kWh
720 kWh/d
3.3 h
1211 h/yr
300 kW
1500 kWh
1080 kWh/d
5.0 h
1817 h/yr
400 kW
2000 kWh
1440 kWh/d
6.6 h
2422 h/yr
500 kW
2500 kWh
1800 kWh/d
8.3 h
3027 h/yr
Feasibility of Solar Energy for AMISR Observatory
Design parameters ~ Solar generation
Energy Storage + Distribution System
- design must allow uninterrupted and night operation
- design must exceed 1000 hours of annual operation
Possible storage options
- Pumped hydro = 95% of existing utility-scale energy storage
- Lithium ion battery
- Lead acid or other battery chemistry (DESS is “battery agnostic”)
- Compressed air energy storage (CAES)
- Flywheel
- Ultracapacitor
- Concentrating solar power (CSP) – molten salt
Feasibility of Solar Energy for AMISR Observatory
Estimated system costs ~ Solar generation
Generation
capacity
Storage
capacity
PV plant
generation
~ $4/W
Storage +
distribution
~ $2/Wh
Total cost
100 kW
500 kWh
$0.4M
$1.0M
$1.4M
200 kW
1000 kWh
$0.8M
$2.0M
$2.8M
300 kW
1500 kWh
$1.2M
$3.0M
$4.2M
400 kW
2000 kWh
$1.6M
$4.0M
$5.6M
500 kW
2500 kWh
$2.0M
$5.0M
$7.0M
Kigali Solaire, Mont Jali, Kigali, Rwanda
64 Watts / module x 40 modules / array
x 100 arrays = 256 kW
~1 hectare PV field
Constructed 11/2006 – 11/2008
Producing 325,000 kWh/y = 890 kWh/d
/ 256 kW = 3.5 h/d effective insolation
Comparable to est. 3.6 h/d for Ethiopia
Involved parties:
- Stadtwerke Mainz AG – German utility
company + IPP, delegates authority for
O+M to local parties
- Juwi Solar GmbH – project installer
- Rwanda Ministry of Infrastructure
- Kigali City Council
- Electrogaz Rwanda
- Jumélage RhénaniePalatinat, Rwanda
Kigali Solaire, Mont Jali, Kigali, Rwanda
8 x 5 = 40 modules x 64W = 2.56 kW
local installation + facility O&M
modular design = high availability
no fossil fuels = sustainability
For example...
300 kWh DESS fits into a
standard 20ft container delivered
as a turnkey system to the
site providing...
- uninterrupted facility power
- PV integration
- grid integration + support
- possible revenue stream
Feasibility of Solar Energy for AMISR Observatory
AMISR in Africa Conference
Boston College, March 1-3
Thank you for your kind attention
A. Weaver, J. Sliker, Renovus Energy, Ithaca NY