Design of a solar photovoltaic system to power the community of Riverton in Droogfontein

The purpose of this paper is to provide an effective design of a standalone PV plant to supply electricity to the Riverton community. It is now widely recognized that the fossil fuels and other conventional resources presently used in the generation of electrical energy may not be sufficient or suitable to keep up with the ever-increasing global demand for electrical energy. This paper presents the design of a stand-alone photovoltaic plant used to cover basic electricity needs of the remote farm area called Riverton (30 houses) and a day care. Lighting, TV sets and refrigerators were considered basic electricity needs for each household. The stove is disregarded in the load as it consumes more power, and most of the residents already make use of gas stoves. The project uses a simulation software called PVSYST through the design of the PV System.