Design and simulation of solar-powered smart street lighting system for rural areas

Abstract

This study proposes the design of a standalone Photovoltaic (PV) street lighting system on a village road in the Haripur Upazilla of Thakurgaon, Bangladesh. To optimize the system, simulation software has been utilized. Through software simulations, the optimal 15W LED light and 28.50m pole-to-pole distance have been determined. The system's monthly electrical output, taking into account all relevant efficiency parameters and the environmental impact. A 90W PV module-powered street light system generates 0.147 MWh of energy per year from a single pole, while the LED consumes only 0.073 MWh at its peak, which is 50.34% less than the amount of energy the system is designed to generate. A cost benefit analysis shows that the proposed system costs 18.33% less than the conventional local grid-connected system