Assessment of solar photovoltaic systems at the level of rural electrification

The authors outline some of the main problems of design and assessment connected with practical applications of photovoltaic generation and discuss major points of controversy concerning such issues as comparisons between DC and AC systems and between centrifugal and positive displacement pumps for water pumping units. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are pointed out, and it is concluded that, in most cases, the specific conditions and requirements must be carefully considered in order to reach the optimum design of a photovoltaic system. The experience obtained from the operation of a photovoltaic water pumping system on the island of Karpathos, Greece, is discussed