Feasibility and Technical Reliability Study of a Standalone Rooftop Solar Power Plant System Using Python Pvlib: A Case Study on Renewable Energy Engineering Laboratory Building of Universitas Malikussaleh

Shaki S. Putra, Hermin Kartika Sari, Thomas Oka Pratama, Reza Putra

Abstract


This study evaluates the technical feasibility and reliability limits of a standalone rooftop solar power plant system for the Renewable Energy Laboratory at Universitas Malikussaleh, North Aceh. Utilizing the pvlib Python library and NASA POWER meteorological data from 2022 to 2024, a high-resolution time series simulation was conducted to model energy yield, battery dynamics, and Loss of Power Supply Probability (LPSP). The results reveal a significant seasonal reliability gap, while the system achieves optimal performance in dry months with LPSP < 1%, it suffers critical power failures during the monsoon season, with LPSP peaking at 31.80% in December due to consecutive low irradiance days. Furthermore, the energy balance analysis highlights a system inefficiency where substantial energy curtailment occurs during high-irradiance periods despite severe deficits in wet months. Consequently, a pure off-grid configuration is deemed technically unfeasible for critical laboratory loads without unrealistic oversizing. The study concludes that transitioning to a PV-Hybrid topology with backup generation is essential to ensure operational continuity while complying with current non-export regulatory constraints.

Keywords


Loss of Power Supply Probability (LPSP); Python pvlib; Reliability Analysis; Standalone Rooftop Solar Power Plant System; Tropical Climate

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30811/teknologi.v26i1.8505

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