The Nepalese government has taken up the cause of expanding grid-connected solar PV projects. The goal is a better electricity supply, from which the country's economic development should benefit. As part of this initiative, a solar park with an output of eight megawatts is planned for the city of Bhrikuti Municipality and neighboring villages in the south-western lowlands. As EPC, the project developers of First Solar Developers Nepal have opted for Solar Solutions Pvt. Ltd., which has been implementing solar projects in Nepal for ten years.
Economical inverters in a turnkey system
The inverter technology that feeds the solar power into the grid comes from German KACO new energy GmbH. First Solar Developers Nepal has ordered the CPSS system solution. This means: string inverters, DC combiners and a steel container with AC low-voltage distribution, medium-voltage transformer and switchgear are delivered turnkey from a single source.
"The chosen inverter is the blueplanet 125 TL3, in which we use innovative silicon carbide semiconductors. The thermal properties of the material have clear advantages. Fewer components allow a compact, resistant device and higher switching frequencies ensure high performance with a previously unattained degree of efficiency," says Ronak Shah, Technical Sales Manager at KACO new energy.
"KACO new energy supported us in all technical issues, such as performing various simulations, selecting the cables, designing the earthing system and finding the appropriate PV monitoring system," says Raj Kumar Thapa, Managing Director of Solar Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Award-winning overall concept
In addition to the professional technical execution, which is to ensure the economic efficiency of the project, social aspects were also included in the considerations. The ground on which the solar park will be built is leased from a school. In this way, the project has a double benefit: The income will benefit the school and the region will receive a sustainable, reliable electricity supply.
Based on these cornerstones, First Solar Developers Nepal applied for the Solar Shark Tank Competition 2018. The competition was aimed at local project developers seeking a solid financial basis for their solar projects. Among 41 applications from 24 countries, the jury selected the "Bhrikuti Grid Tied Solar Project" in February 2018 as the winner, who was entitled to a grant of 100,000 dollars. The goddess of frowning, after whom the city of Bhrikuti is named, certainly put a smile on her face that day.
About KACO new energy
KACO new energy, headquartered in Neckarsulm, Germany is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of inverters for grid-feed solar power. The product line-up covers the full power range, from single units designed for a family home up to complete systems for solar parks producing megawatts of electricity. Since 1999, KACO new energy has supplied inverters with a cumulative power output of 13 gigawatts. This offering has been extended to include solutions for PV self-consumption and energy storage, devices for grid management, as well as products and value-added services for utility-scale projects. KACO new energy is the first company in the photovoltaic industry to achieve CO2-neutral production. In 2014, the family-owned company celebrated the 100th birthday of the original parent company which, at the end of the 1930s, was one of first ever inverter manufacturers. More at https://kaco-newenergy.com/