Stand-alone PV systems for rural areas in Sabah, Malaysia: Review and case study application

Solar energy is the energy utilized from the sun. Either to produce heat or electricity, solar energy is a clean source of energy. The electrical aspect of solar energy is produced using a semiconductor device named "Photovoltaic" or PV. The PV technology can be used to feed the grid, making it a grid connected system or to feed close by loads separately, making it a stand-alone system. This paper aims to study stand-alone PV systems in terms of: principle of work, construction and operation for rural areas in Malaysia. A case study application has been put forward and implemented in a village in Sipitang, Sabah, Malaysia. The system produced is a stand-alone PV system with 1 inverter, 1 charge controller, 2 batteries and 4 PV panelsall connected in parallel. capital cost analysis of the system has been conducted and found that the system costs 5,171.2 USD.