Application of photovoltaic systems for rural electrification at remote Islands

The photovoltaic power generation system introduced in 1950s has no pollution, no noise, no fuel and convenient maintenance characteristics as compared with other conventional generation systems. However, despite these inherent advantages, there are some limitations yet in the utilization of PV system because of high capital cost of the system including solar cell and power conditioning system. Recently, in order to expand the utilization area of PV system, its possible application as a viable option for rural electrification has been under investigation. This paper discusses the operation results of three stand-alone PV systems installed to supply the electric power at remote islands. Results show that the PV system with suitable battery capacity and diesel generator as back-up power supplies can be sufficiently adopted for the remote island electrification.