This paper presents an isolated Photovoltaic (PV)-battery system for fulfilling the load of a typical house located in Benghazi, Libya. 48 V DC is considered as the bus voltage. The proposed system has been sized using HOMER Pro software and found to consist of 28 PV panels, 330 watts each, and 32 lead-acid battery banks of 12 V, 219 Ah. The dynamic model of the system is implemented in MATLAB/Simulink software. The results show that the proposed system can provide a stable 48 V DC for the intended load. It can also be used to meet the electricity needs of houses with low loads or rural communities with basic electricity needs. The performed economic analysis reveals that the proposed system - with a net present cost of $42,892 - can generate electricity at a cost of $0.365/kWh, indicating that such a system will make economic sense in remote off-grid areas.
Key words: stand-alone solar PV system; DC distribution system; solar energy; HOMER Pro.
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