Welcome

Welcome to Roanakh.com, the practical and complete resource site for designing your PV/Solar Electric system. An easy to use, step by step guide along with a database of all the components required with their properties and embedded calculations will guide you to build your system. If you are an experienced designer or a novice to PV system design, you will find this site invaluable.

Here you will find all the resources, information and tools to design your PV system. This site has 2 sections, an information section and a design section that allows you to design your PV system interactively using simple drop down menus and carefully guided hints and directions to design the optimal system for your requirements. you will also be able to estimate total costs of the key components of the system.

There are a lot of documents and information on the net that discuss the overall PV system components, basic costs and return on investment of PV systems. Here is a link to an interesting compilation in the style of FAQs at the NREL website: www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/35297.pdf. Here is another link to "Buying a Solar Photovoltaic System: A Consumer Guide" published by the California Energy Commission: http://www.energy.ca.gov/reports/500-99-008.PDF.

At Roanakh.com the focus is on the design of PV systems with appropriate links to other sites that have consumer and other technical information. Roanakh.com is also a design and PV System Simulation services company and can simulate the behaviour of a PV system for an entire year. For a sample report please visit our About_Us page.

We are now offering our Simulation services for $399 a report or less than the cost of a 100 Watt Panel. Visit our About_Us page.

There are 3 fundamental designs of PV systems and which one is appropriate for you, depends on why you are designing the system and how the system is expected to operate in the given environment.

     If the system is intended for a remote location not connected to the electric grid, such as a remote cabin in the woods or a remote village in Africa, then you should consider starting your design as a stand alone PV system. PV systems are the most cost effective way to electrify remote locations that do not have access to the grid and are at least a couple of miles away for any power line.

    If the system is being considered for urban locations, specifically in the developed world, which are well connected to the electric grid and have a highly reliable source of electric power through the grid and the main purpose of the system is to decrease consumption of traditionally generated electricity i.e generate renewable and pollution free electricity to combat global warming and/or to shave peak power usage then a Grid-Tie system design is a good starting point.

   For situations in between, i.e where the location is connected to the grid but the grid power is unreliable or the owner is looking to have a backup power source to support critical loads, than the Grid-Interactive system is a good basis for designing the PV system.

   One of the best books available for Solar Photovoltaic design and information is the "PhotoVoltaic Design and Installation Manual" published by Solar Energy International. Photovoltaics Design And Installation Manual: Renewable Energy Education for a Sustainable Future

   Select one of the 3 systems from the top menu to further explore the design considerations and block diagrams. On the left hand side menu, the major components of the system are listed. I recommend you start with the system design, where the appropriate components will be displayed for further research. You can also select one of the component links to further understand the characteristics of the components.