KABORE Hermann1, SANOGO Oumar2, KIEMA Benjamin3, PALM Kalifa4, COMPAORE Roger Mathurin Charles5, KABORE Arouna6, SANDWIDI Sayouba7, and KAM Sié8
1 Laboratoire d’Energies Thermiques Renouvelables (LETRE), Université Joseph KI-ZERBO, 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
2 Laboratoire des Systèmes d’Énergie Renouvelable et Environnement (LASERE), Institut de Recherche en Sciences Appliquées et Technologies (IRSAT, CNRST), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
3 Laboratoire de Physique et de Chimie de l’Environnement (LPCE), Université Joseph KI-ZERBO, 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
4 Laboratoire des Systèmes d’Énergie Renouvelable et Environnement (LASERE), Institut de Recherche en Sciences Appliquées et Technologies (IRSAT, CNRST), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
5 Laboratoire des Systèmes d’Énergie Renouvelable et Environnement (LASERE), Institut de Recherche en Sciences Appliquées et Technologies (IRSAT, CNRST), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
6 Laboratoire d’Energies Thermiques Renouvelables (LETRE), Université Joseph KI-ZERBO, 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
7 Laboratoire des Systèmes d’Énergie Renouvelable et Environnement (LASERE), Institut de Recherche en Sciences Appliquées et Technologies (IRSAT, CNRST), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
8 Laboratoire d’Energies Thermiques Renouvelables (LETRE), Université Joseph KI-ZERBO, 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Original language: English
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Abstract
The objective of this study is to provide a technical, economic, and thermal analysis of how to optimize the performance of an existing grid-connected solar photovoltaic system that supplies electricity to a mechanical vapor-compression refrigeration unit. The electrical grid is introduced as a supplementary backup source, activated when photovoltaic generation and storage are insufficient to meet the refrigeration load. The analysis is conducted in two phases: first, an experimental study of the thermal behavior of the refrigeration unit’s components, and second, a simulation using «Homer Pro» and «Schémaplic V6.0» software. The modeling incorporates the compressor’s actual consumption profile, local climate data, and the characteristics of the photovoltaic system and the grid. The results showed that connecting the electrical grid to an existing photovoltaic system powering a single-phase refrigeration unit improves operational continuity and reduces temperature fluctuations by enabling rapid cooling from 30 °C to -5 °C in less than 2 hours. The PV/grid hybrid system has the lowest net present value, estimated at $22,158, as well as a levelized cost of energy of $0.08/kWh, compared to a standalone photovoltaic system, which has a significantly higher overall cost. From a technical standpoint, the hybrid system enables a total electricity generation of 23.48 MWh/year shared between the photovoltaic system and the national grid, with a renewable energy share of approximately 64.8 %, while ensuring an energy reliability of nearly 193 %.
Author Keywords: hybrid system, photovoltaic, power grid, cooling, mechanical compression.
