Performance Analysis of Installed Solar PV System Using Homer in Tanzania: A Case Study of Zanzibar and Arusha

Abstract

This study reflects two photovoltaic (PV) power generations, at Karume Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) - Zanzibar and The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) - Arusha in Tanzania. The output data sets from each site were verified for possible PV simulation of different operational scenarios to obtain the optimum design configuration. The HOMER software was used to analyze the entire operation of the system. The effect of the accuracy of the photovoltaic integration was determined by analysis of different operational behaviors of the simulated PV levels. Furthermore, the overall performance of the station per site was analyzed for technical, economic and environmental constraints as well as their comparative cost-benefit analysis. The study finds that there is a high sensitivity in the demand for the load (i.e. load growth) whose system performance is characterized with minimum: total net present cost (NPC) of $474,745 and $29,169, feed in tariffs, levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of $1.06/kWh and $0.0118/kWh, total energy output and renewable fraction of 15% and 22% for KIST and NM-AIST respectively, thus support the use of photovoltaic power sources in the generation of energy than their counterpart alternatives because of the best technical performance and is less dependent on other external sources of energy, and simultaneously has good economic and environmental performance