Design of Stand Alone Photovoltaic System in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Kano, Nigeria

Many houses in developing countries are in remote communities located far away from the grid and connecting them to the grid is capital-intensive. Therefore, considering solar energy for domestic usage is an avenue where energy from the sun is converted to electricity to power domestic appliances especially for these houses in remote areas. In Nigeria, solar energy is readily available because of the geographical location and appropriate climatic condition so it is necessary to use solar energy to supply electricity to these remote areas. This paper seeks to present the guidelines and components required for the design of a cost-effective standalone photovoltaic (PV) system that will effectively power electrical appliances for residential homes in the remote part of Kano state, Nigeria with an average monthly solar irradiance between 5 to 8kWh/m2/day and at a medium-energy consumption level.