Kathmandu Solar Power Supply System

The weather data analysis demonstrated that the PV power plant is promising in the Kathmandu valley, generating electricity for public consumption. Similarly, the simulation result in PVsyst proved an enormous potential for solar PV systems in Kathmandu. Solar energy deployment has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years.

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has issued licenses to various PV installers to produce more than 500 megawatts of solar energy. NEA plans to have an energy mix, constituting 85% from hydropower and 15% from solar power. Nepal has abundant availability of solar energy throughout the year (Fig. 2).

Our results show that the 3-kWp PV system can generate 100% of electricity consumed by a typical residential household in Kathmandu. The calculated levelised cost of energy for the PV system considered is 0.06 $/kWh, and the corresponding rate of investment is 87%. The payback period is estimated to be 8.6 years.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative This study investigates the techno-economic feasibility of installing a 3-kilowatt-peak (kWp) photovoltaic (PV) system in Kathmandu, Nepal. The study also analyses the importance of scaling up the share of solar energy to contribute to the country's overall energy generation mix.

The block diagram of the proposed PV system for Kathmandu The detailed economic results show that the total yearly cost, including 9.90 inflation per year, is $250.59/year, with a produced energy of 5695 kWh/year, and the cost of the production is $0.060 per kWh.

For this, India has been aggressively investing in solar PV systems with a target of 100 GW of installed solar capacity by 2022, and likewise, China has a similar target within 2020. This is the biggest inspiration for Nepal. Nepal should follow its footstep to enhance its energy system by adapting the solar PV system to its energy mix.