A grid-interactive photovoltaic uninterruptible power supply system using battery storage and a back up diesel generator

TLDR

The paper presents a practical implementation of a grid‑interactive photovoltaic UPS system that combines battery storage with a backup diesel generator. The system employs 2.5 kWp PV arrays, a 10 kVA power conditioning unit capable of both inverting and charging, a 300‑Ah battery bank, and was installed in two Indian cities with funding from a World Bank loan. Field operation since May 1997 has shown the system to provide uninterrupted power, demand‑side management, and load voltage stabilization in a grid prone to frequent blackouts and voltage fluctuations, with additional results reported.

Abstract

This paper presents a practical implementation of a grid interactive photovoltaic uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system using battery storage and a back up diesel generator. The system incorporates 2.5 kWp of photovoltaic arrays, a 10 kVA power conditioning unit capable of operating in both inverting and charging modes, and a 300-Ah battery bank. Two such systems were installed in two Indian cities. The project was implemented using soft loans available in India through a World Bank Loan for photovoltaic market development. The system has been working satisfactorily since May 1997 and has demonstrated the capability of the system to provide uninterrupted power, demand side management function and load voltage stabilization in a grid which experiences frequent blackouts and under/over voltage problems. Some results from the field installation are also included in this paper.