Design and Performance Evaluation of An Off-Grid Photovoltaic System Based on Weekday Load Profiles for Rural Schools: A Case Study in Babil, Iraq

Abstract

This study highlights the design, simulation, and performance assessment of a standalone photovoltaic system developed for a rural educational facility in Babil, Iraq, under actual site conditions, the work fulfilling a novel weekday only for the electrical requirements of Al-Nasra Primary School, situated adjacent to the Al-Musayyib Grand Irrigation Project. The system was modeled and analyzed using PVsyst software, utilizing a realistic weekday-only load profile that simulates school operations for five hours daily (08:00–13:00), five days a week. The entire daily energy requirement was assessed at 62.0 kWh, encompassing classrooms, administrative offices, and heating and cooling systems. The results of the simulation indicated that the designed system produced a yearly energy output of 21,306 kWh, with 15,927 kWh effectively employed to meet the load and 4,295 kWh recorded as surplus energy. The system showed the performance ratio (PR) of 62.0%, solar fraction of 99.72% and a load loss of 0.6%. The battery bank maintained a state of health exceeding 91.7%, with an estimated lifespan of 12 years. These results verify the technical viability and dependability of a suitably sized standalone photovoltaic system in fulfilling the distinct operating requirements of a rural school. Furthermore, the setting up of a pragmatic weekday-only load profile yields a more precise evaluation of system performance, preventing oversizing and promoting improved energy management strategies for schools in off-grid or locations with an unsteady power grid. The weather data employed for the simulation was obtained from the PVsyst linked Meteonorm 8.0 data for the Al-Musayyib region.