2022 Electrical Power, Electronics, Communications, Controls and Informatics Seminar (EECCIS)

Performance Evaluation GUI for 50 MW Large

Scale Solar PV System
Muhammad Syarafuddin Jaferi Mohd Najib Mohd Hussain Nurul ‘Aini Mohamad Zakaria
School of Electrical Engineering School of Electrical Engineering College of Engineering
College of Engineering College of Engineering Universiti Teknologi MARA
Universiti Teknologi MARA Universiti Teknologi MARA 13500 Permatang Pauh, Pulau Pinang
13500 Permatang Pauh, Pulau Pinang 13500 Permatang Pauh, Pulau Pinang [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]
2022 11th Electrical Power, Electronics, Communications, Controls and Informatics Seminar (EECCIS) | 978-1-6654-0648-2/22/$31.00 ©2022 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/EECCIS54468.2022.9902905

Mashitah Mohd Hussain Kamarulazhar Daud Siti Sarah Mat Isa

School of Electrical Engineering School of Electrical Engineering School of Electrical Engineering
College of Engineering College of Engineering College of Engineering
Universiti Teknologi MARA Universiti Teknologi MARA Universiti Teknologi MARA
81750 Masai, Johor 13500 Permatang Pauh, Pulau Pinang 13500 Permatang Pauh, Pulau Pinang
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Abstract— Performance Ratio is one of important criteria Numerous researches have been implemented for
to evaluate the achievement of Large Scale Solar Photovoltaic evaluation and analyses the performance ratio for the LSSPV
Power Plant. An establishment of graphic user interface tools power plant. The performance ratio are evaluates based on
for estimate the performance of Large Scale Solar Photovoltaic several factors [2]–[7] while some researcher compares the
is developed for future economical and monitoring system performance ratio between summer and winter [8] to
purposes. This paper presents the performance evaluation determines the effect of weather towards performance ratio.
system using Visual Basic software to create a graphic user Besides that, the impact of cloud cover and dust [9]
interface platform and the comprehensive design of Large described in a study where dust accumulation has a great
Scale Solar Photovoltaic system modeled using Matlab
effect on the daily performance ratio of the unclean module.
Simulink to evaluates the performance ratio using real-time
data extracted from real-time 50 MW LSSPV power plant site.
For instance, Akash Kumar Shukla, K. Sudhakar, Prashant
The data is extracted from real-time meteorological station and Barcedar from India has implemented a simulation on the
automatically generated from Large Scale Solar Photovoltaic performance analysis of 110 KWp grid connected
plant and compared with PVsyst designed report. The system photovoltaic system for residential buildings.
is successfully simulated where the performance ratio of Besides, the power plant itself had facing several
50MW Kuala Ketil Large Scale Solar Photovoltaic modelled in problems such as their performance will degrade over time
Matlab Simulink provides a modulation index at VSC with due to unavoidable losses. The current system also had a
85% while the evaluation of PR based on GUI are obtained at
difficulty to determine the quality of panels & system
82% and 83% on March and April respectively. An established
performance evaluation system for large-scale solar power
installation, wear and tear of the equipment and unforeseen
plant is a crucial approach to measure the quality of the damage occurs. The performance ratio would encounter the
electricity generation from the plant. problem but it will be a little bit hard because there is no
software are available in the market which can to calculate
Keywords—performance ratio, large scale solar, photovoltaic, the performance ratio of the solar plant.
graphic user interface
Thus, a user-friendly tool is developed for calculating
I. INTRODUCTION Performance Ratio of the solar plant as a GUI friendly
application. The GUI is displaying the graph of performance
The performance ratio (PR) is a measure of the quality ratio and the irradiance by selecting the data based on user
for a PV plant generation that is independent of location and requirements. The user be able to monitor an average of daily
is therefore often described as a quality factor. The and monthly plant generation. The operation of plant
performance ratio is a relationship between the actual and generation also can be observed by using this system and his
theoretical energy output of photovoltaic (PV) plant. This work includes the various type of data for observing the
value presents the proportion of the energy that is available performance ratio.
for export to the grid after deduction of energy loss and
energy consumption for operation. The closer the PR value Furthermore, a design and modeling of LSSPV power
determined for a PV plant approaches 100 %, the more plant for 50MW is implemented in MATLAB Simulink to
efficiently the respective PV plant is operated. verified the meteorological data from the site with respect to
generation of electricity from the plant. The system modelled
Since the performance ratio of the large-scale solar PV comprises of photovoltaic arrays, solar inverters, line
(LSSPV) system will degraded over time based on the inductance, high-voltage transformer, back-up 50kVar up to
characteristics and behavior of voltage, current and power of grid interconnection. Var up to grid interconnection.
the photovoltaic modules [1], an effective monitoring of PV
arrays and balance of system components will become as II. PERFORMANCE RATION OF LSSPV
important role in maintaining the system performance to According to SMA solar technology, "the performance
ensure gained at optimal return on investment. Performance ratio is a measure of the quality of a solar power plant that is
evaluation of such an integrated system will assist the plant independent of location and is therefore often described as a
to have a good monitoring and plant checking in order to quality factor". It can be stated as per cent and describes the
provide high generation of electricity from solar PV system. relationship between the actual and theoretical energy output

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of PV plant. The more efficiently the respective PV plant is
operating, the closer the PR value determined for
performance. The performance ratio is a measurement to
indicates the energy efficiency and the reliable of solar
power plant capability. The estimation of the efficacy for the
LSSPV power plant from the real generated energy is
compared with the preliminary design of MW to represent
the potential of the system to harvest maximum generation of
energy [6].
Based on research in [10], there are two parameters for
calculating the performance ratio known as Final Yield (YF)
and Reference Yield (YR). YF is the ratio of annual, monthly
or daily net alternating current (AC) output energy of the
solar power plant. The YF is commonly used to compare
energy produced from different sizes of PV plants [10]. The
Equations of the YF is shown in equations as follows [11]:
𝐴𝐶 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
𝑌𝐹 =
𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑃𝑉 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟
 

Next, Reference Yield is the ratio of total in-plane solar

insulation to the PV's reference irradiance (1000W/m2 at
standard test condition, STC). The Equations of the YR is
shown as follows:
Fig. 1. System implementation process
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐼𝑛 − 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝐼𝑛𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑌𝐹 =  
𝑅𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐼𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 The data from meteorological tools from the plant are
analyzed and optimized for mathematical modeling of the
The most important measures for evaluating a Solar plant performance to generate output based on daily PR. A
Power Plant is performance ratio and it can be used to mathematical modelling is employed for LSSPV modelled
compare to another plant at different locations all around the based on relationship of operating cell temperature with
world. The performance ratio is the ratio of Final Yield and respect to irradiance and ambient temperature as illustrates in
Reference yield as (3). (4) [12].
𝐹𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑌𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 (𝑌𝐹 ) 𝑁𝑂𝐶𝑇−20
𝑃𝑅 =   𝑇𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙 = [( ) 𝑥𝐺] + 𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑏  
𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑌𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 (𝑌𝑅 ) 800 𝑊𝑚−2

III. METHOD OF IMPLEMENTATION The modelling of solar cell is based on (5) of inverted
diode characteristics curve under full solar irradiance
A. System of Operation (illuminated) conditions.
The software and method used in conducting this project
are explained in this section. Fig. 1 shows the 𝑞𝑉
𝑉−𝐼𝑅𝑠
implementation process for determines the performance 𝐼 = 𝐼𝑜 (𝑒 𝑘𝑇 − 1) + 
𝑅𝑝
ration of the plant.

Fig. 2. Comprehensive of LSSPV plat model in MATLAB Simulink

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B. GUI Interfacing Scheme
A user-friendly tool for calculating performance ratio is
important for the owner to kept the plant in high generation
capabilities. Fig. 3 illustrates the GUI toolbox for
performance ratio evaluation of large scale solar photovoltaic
system.
The performance of the plant is evaluation based on
electricity generation in 50 MW large scale solar PV system
in Kuala Ketil. GUI system automatically create a screen of
interface for general information data extraction from the
supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system
for meteorological and power generation details from the site
as shown in Fig. 4. The system initiates a daily irradiance (a)
with respect to daily energy generation and performance
ratio indication. This daily PR evaluation is further compared
with PVsyst report evaluation of preliminary design system
for 50 MW site for continuous action plan of the plant.
Results
C. Simulation of LSSPV Plant Model
A sample of meteorological data similar as Kuala Ketil
site is extracted for verification of generation at VSC level of
connection. Fig. 5(a) represent the modulation index at a
three-phase voltage source converter (VSC) based on
optimal voltage transformation after MPPT scheme of the
inverters. The average modulation index for a constant
synchronization with grid is 0.85 after the MPPT of the
inverter. However, without the MPPT, the modulation index (b)
for the VSC is less than 0.8 as shown in Fig. 5(b). The Fig. 5. Modulation index measurement at VSC (a) with and (b) without
waveforms shows that when the solar irradiance captured by MPPT
the PV module is increase, the output for the system which is
Pmean also will be increase and VSC with MPPT gives better D. GUI Implementation
establishment of index at approximately 0.85. The performance ratio of for March 2019 is presented in
Data Grid View of Microsoft Visual Basic for monitoring
purposes. A total energy of 7779 MWh at total irradiance of
162957.66Wh/m2 produce total PR of 82 % as shown in Fig.
6. The PR for March is more than expected PR from
simulated results generated from PVsyst report which is
80.58 % as exemplified in Fig. 7.

Fig. 3. GUI for PR evaluation system Fig. 6. GUI of PR for selected month

Fig. 4. General data view for 50 MW LSSPV plant

Fig. 7. PR from PVsyst simulation report

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 The monitoring of PR between GUI and designed PR
from PVsyst result is displays in Fig. 8. It is shown that the
performance of the plant during March and April 2019 are
within an expected PR. Since the plant is commissioned in
February 2019, the PR of the plant is in a rationale state of
generation when the GUI calculated higher than expected PR
from design PVsyst.
The monthly production of PR for March and April 2019
are several shown in Fig. 9 (a) and (b) through data
calculation using GUI friendly platform. It is shown that the
calculation is 98% closed to the expectation of PR from
PVsyst simulation report. While the features of solar
Irradiances and PR generations can be monitored in GUI as
shown in Fig. 10. The output from GUI presents an accurate (a)
finding for future forecasting with user friendly approach
which assist the plant to prepare related approach for
ensuring the plant generated at higher electricity.
IV. CONCLUSION
The graphic user interface designed using Microsoft
visual basic based on real-time date of 50 MW large scale
solar PV plant is important for monitoring and evaluation of
plant performance. The simulation of 50MW LSSPV plant
shows that the modulation index for the plant is 85% after
the MPPT of the inverters. The modulation index at this VSC
is further used for establishment of the PR for the plant based
on real-time data monitoring from GUI outcome. The PR
from PVSyst report on March and April 2019 severally (b)
simulated at approximately 80.5% and 81.5%. While the PR
Fig. 9. GUI of PR for (a) March 2019 and (b) April 2019
calculation from GUI based on real-time data in Kuala Ketil
site on March and April are measured severally at
approximately 81.5% and 83.4%. Therefore, it is shown that
the calculated generation in GUI is producing 98% efficient
value with PR designed from PVsyst and LSSPV model in
Matlab Simulik at higher total irradiance during March and
April 2019. The convinced of PR values obtained from this
comparison is important for the plant to take any further
action plan for maintenance and profit returned from
generation produce in the LSSPV plant. Further 1 to 2 years
of data set shall be implemented for further establishment of
the system.

Fig. 10. PR and solar irradiance displays in GUI platform

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author would like to thank Universiti Teknologi
Mara Malaysia and Fundamental Research Grant Scheme
(FRGS - 600-IRMI/FRGS 5/3 (222/2019)) for the financial
support throughout this research studies.
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Fig. 8. PR versus month for March and April 2019
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