A practical perspective on Grid-tied PV systems in low reliability grids

The percentage of solar PV in the global energy mix has considerably increased in the past decade. Grid-tied systems, generally, have a better return-on-investment compared to standalone/backup off-grid systems. However, the implementation of grid-tied systems largely depends on the grid and the state of captive generation. Unfortunately, the developing countries mostly have intermittent grids. In places where grids are supplemented by captive generation, these systems can be deployed. We have analyzed one such system in Pakistan with overall 42.24 kWp capacity modularly implemented with three independent inverters. We analyze the effect of partial shading losses along with several other unconventional effects which are particular only to weak grids. The practical perspective from this installation can be highly useful for future installations within Pakistan and other developing countries to reduce their dependence on national grid.