QASP Report

COMPARISON STUDY OF QUAID-E-AZAM
SOLAR PARK (QASP) WITH A DISTRIBUTED
2015-graduates
PV-SYSTEM OF URBAN AREA
Subject: [ ]
Renewable Energy Systems
Submitted to:
Dr. Imran Sheikh
M. Nouman Sadiq (2012-EE-19)

Zubair Hafeez (2012-EE-28)
Zujajah Masud (2012-EE-05)
Sara Afzal Baig (2012-EE-09)
Content
Chapter 1 Introduction ………………………………………….. 1
Chapter 2 Components of a Photovoltaic System ………… 6
Chapter 3 Case Studies ………………………………………….. 18
Chapter 4 Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (QASP) ………………. 25
Chapter 5 Systematic Development of QASP ………………. 54
Chapter 6 Single Line Diagram of QASP …………………….. 72
Chapter 7 Comparison Study of Bulk Production and ….. 74

Distributed Generation
Chapter 8 Comparison Based Technical & Cost Analysis. 76
Appendix 1 Single line Diagram of QASP ……………………… 79
Appendix 2 Datasheets of PV-module & inverter …………… 81
References ………………………………………………………………… 85
Chapter
1
INTRODUCTION
Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the sun harnessed using a range of ever-
evolving technologies such as solar heating, photovoltaics (PV), solar thermal energy, solar
architecture and artificial photosynthesis.
It is an important source of renewable energy and its technologies are broadly
characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture and
distribute solar energy or convert it into solar power. Active solar techniques include the use
of photovoltaic systems, concentrated solar power and solar water heating to harness the energy.
Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with
favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally
circulate air. Here our concern is with production of electricity through photovoltaics only.
In the last two decades, photovoltaics (PV), also known as solar PV, has evolved from a
pure niche market of small scale applications towards becoming a mainstream electricity source.
A solar cell is a device that converts light directly into electricity using the photoelectric effect.
The first solar cell was constructed by Charles Fritts in the 1880s. In 1931 a German engineer,
Dr. Bruno Lange, developed a photo cell using silver selenide in place of copper oxide. Although
the prototype selenium cells converted less than 1% of incident light into electricity, both Ernst
Werner von Siemens and James Clerk Maxwell recognized the importance of this
discovery. Following the work of Russell Ohl in the 1940s, researchers Gerald Pearson, Calvin
Fuller and Daryl Chapin created the crystalline silicon solar cell in 1954. These early solar cells
cost 286 USD/watt and reached efficiencies of 4.5–6%. By 2012 available efficiencies exceed
20% and the maximum efficiency of research photovoltaics is over 40%.
Advantages of solar Technology
 PV panels provide clean – green energy. During electricity generation with PV panels
there is no harmful greenhouse gas emissions thus solar PV is environmentally friendly.
1
 Solar energy is energy supplied by nature – it is thus free and abundant!
 Solar energy can be made available almost anywhere there is sunlight
 Solar energy is especially appropriate for smart energy networks with distributed power
generation – DPG is indeed the next generation power network structure!
 Solar Panels cost is currently on a fast reducing track and is expected to continue
reducing for the next years – consequently solar PV panels has indeed a highly promising
future both for economic viability and environmental sustainability.
 Photovoltaic panels, through photoelectric phenomenon, produce electricity in a direct
electricity generation way
 Operating and maintenance costs for PV panels are considered to be low, almost
negligible, compared to costs of other renewable energy systems
 PV panels have no mechanically moving parts, except in cases of –sun-tracking
mechanical bases; consequently they have far less breakages or require less maintenance
than other renewable energy systems (e.g. wind turbines)
 PV panels are totally silent, producing no noise at all; consequently, they are a perfect
solution for urban areas and for residential applications.
 Because solar energy coincides with energy needs for cooling PV panels can provide an
effective solution to energy demand peaks – especially in hot summer months where
energy demand is high.
 Though solar energy panels’ prices have seen a drastic reduction in the past years, and are
still falling, nonetheless, solar photovoltaic panels are one of major renewable energy
systems that are promoted through government subsidy funding (FITs, tax credits etc.);
thus financial incentive for PV panels make solar energy panels an attractive investment
alternative.
 Residential solar panels are easy to install on rooftops or on the ground without any
interference to residential lifestyle.
Drawbacks of Solar Technology
 As in all renewable energy sources, solar energy has intermittency issues; not shining at
night but also during daytime there may be cloudy or rainy weather.
 Consequently, intermittency and unpredictability of solar energy makes solar energy

panels less reliable a solution.
2
 Solar energy panels require additional equipment (solar inverters) to convert direct
electricity (DC) to alternating electricity (AC) in order to be used on the power network.
 For a continuous supply of electric power, especially for on-grid connections,

Photovoltaic panels require not only Inverters but also storage batteries; thus increasing
the investment cost for PV panels considerably.
 In case of land-mounted PV panel installations, they require relatively large areas for
deployment; usually the land space is committed for this purpose for a period of 15-20
years – or even longer.
 Solar panels efficiency levels are relatively low (between 14%-25%) compared to the
efficiency levels of other renewable energy systems.
 Though PV panels have no considerable maintenance or operating costs, they are fragile
and can be damaged relatively easily; additional insurance costs are therefore of ultimate
importance to safeguard a PV investment.
Importance of Solar Technology in Pakistan

Pakistan is facing severe problems of load-shedding. So there is a need to install new
power projects so that we can control the problem of electricity shortfall. According to National
Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) official, power generation is 7,500MW against
the demand of 12,000MW. So energy shortfall is round about 4500MW.
Big portion of electrical energy in Pakistan is generated from fuel (fossil fuels e.g. natural
gas, diesel, petrol) based power plants. These power plants have very high running cost. Pakistan
is not strong economically, so we need to focus on cheaper energy sources and solar energy (PV
system) is one of the cheap energy sources. Although its capital cost is very high but its running
cost is almost zero.
A rich natural potential of renewable energy resource is already there in Pakistan, we
only need to utilize this. Considering geographical and climatic conditions, Pakistan is well
placed for more plausible but technological matured renewable energy source like Wind (both
onshore and offshore wind energy), Photovoltaic (PV) technology and Biomass.
In Pakistan, we have an average 1700 to 2200 hours of sunshine per year with solar
radiation approx. 2000 kWh/m2-yr measured on a horizontal plane and about. 2400 kWh/m2-yr
measured on surfaces with a slope of approx. 30° facing south. Solar Insolation is very high
in Pakistan, at 5.3 kWh/m²/day. Solar energy source is a blessing for Pakistan. It can help us in
overcoming the electrical energy crisis.
Solar power projects in Pakistan
3
At present, 31 projects of 709.6 MW capacity are under development within the framework of
AEDB policies and procedures. These projects are at various stages of development. The
expected timelines for their commissioning are as follows:
Year Projects Yearly Cumulative Capacity (MW)
2016 6 46
2017 3 150
2018 22 513.6
31 709.6
Brief details of some of the operational solar projects of Pakistan are given in the following table:
Locatio Capacit
Station Community Status
n y (MW)
100 MW
Quaid-e- Lal Suhanra National Operational, to be
Azam Park, Cholistan,Bahawalpur, Punja 1000 fully operational
Solar Park b (i.e. 1000MW) by
2016 [100]
First Parliament in
Pakistan the world that goes
Parliamen Islamabad, Pakistan 1.2 Solar on April
t 2015. A gift from
China.[101]
Roshan
Power Kasur 10 LOI issued[97]
Solar
4
Locatio Capacit
Station Community Status
n y (MW)
Bakhsh
Energy Lodhran 20 LOI issued [97]
Solar
Under construction.
SSJD
Pakistan's
Bagasse Jhimpir, Sindh 50
first Bagasse base
Energy
d energy project.[94]
DACC
Sindh 50 LOI issued [97][102]
LLC Solar
Wah
Industries
Taxila, Punjab 1 LOI issued[97]
Limited
Solar
Tech
Access Punjab 10 LOI issued[97]
Solar
Solar
Energy
Thatta, Sindh 35 LOI issued [97]
Pakistan
Ltd
First Solar Punjab 2 LOI issued [97]
CWE
Cholistan 50 LOI issued [97]
Solar
5
Chapter
2
COMPONENTS OF A PHOTOVOLTAIC
SYSTEM
This chapter deals with the details of the equipment and components used to build a solar
system according to our requirement. We will discuss each component in detail with respect to
its functionality. A brief discussion of technical aspects of components is also included.
Following is the list of important equipment which is integrated to form a solar system:
 PV modules
 Inverter
 Combiners
 Batteries (only for standalone system)
 Charge Controller (only for standalone system)
 DC wiring
As we are concerned with a grid-connected system (QASP), it is useless to discuss the
equipment details of a standalone system. So, we will exclude detail discussion of batteries and
charge controller here.
PV modules
There are number of different types of solar panel, from an ever increasing range of
manufacturers. Each claims that they are best for one reason or another, with different sales
people all giving different information. We are not tied to any particular manufacturer and do not
hold stocks of solar panels, so that we are flexible enough to be able to recommend whichever
solar panel we think is best for your project and can just order and fit the type of panel you
prefer. This means that we are able to give completely independent advice about our views on
different panels and, hopefully, help you distinguish the sales blarney from the real facts.
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Polycrystalline vs Monocrystalline vs Hybrid
Polycrystalline vs Monocrystalline vs Hybrid

Sales people really go to town about which is the best type of solar panel and try to make out
various reasons why their PV panels are best.
There are differences between the various types of panel, that are worth knowing about but,
in the end, it is the total overall power that makes the biggest difference. A 3kW system will
generate a very similar amount of electricity whether it is 3kW of poly, mono, thin film or hybrid
panels. The “panel efficiency” quoted by manufacturers has very little bearing on the annual
generation, it just affects how much roof space is needed for the same powered system.
Most crystalline modules (whether monocrystalline or polycrystalline) will perform in a very
similar way in the UK and will take up roughly the same space on your roof. So, ignore the
sales-speak and choose a manufacturer that you are confident in for the long term with good
warranty terms and some proven history of quality and reliability and you will be fine.
Hybrid panels are definitely a cut above crystalline ones in terms of efficiency, which means
that they generate a larger power from a smaller area. However, they are much too expensive
compared to crystalline panels and are really not worthwhile, unless you have very limited roof
space.
Thin film modules should, in theory, be the best for the UK climate, because they are well
suited to dull, diffuse conditions. They take up a lot more room than other types, but are
7
generally much cheaper. However, most distributors in the UK only stock crystalline modules, so
take up of thin film in the UK is still quite small.
Black framed panels and even the latest “All Black” panels with black frames and black
backing definitely have a better appearance than standard aluminum framed panels. They look
particularly good on slate or dark color plain tile roofs, but don’t make much difference on red or
modern roofs. BUT.... black backed panels, in particular, will get a lot hotter, which will cause
the solar cells to work less efficiently and you will generate less electricity. You will be paying
more for the panels and generating less. So it is only worth fitting black backed panels if you are
really concerned about the appearance of the panels and are prepared to accept that they won’t
work as well as standard panels, e.g. if you live in a conservation area.
Monocrystalline Panels
The solar cells in monocrystalline panels are slices cut from pure drawn crystalline silicon
bars. The entire cell is aligned in one direction, which means that when the sun is shining
brightly on them at the correct angle, they are extremely efficient. So, these panels work best in
bright sunshine with the sun shining directly on them. They have a uniform blacker color
because they are absorbing most of the light.
Pure cells are octagonal, so there is unused space in the corners when lots of cells are made
into a solar module. Mono panels are slightly smaller than poly panels for the same power, but
this is only really noticeable on industrial scale installations where you may be able to fit a
higher overall power with monocrystalline.
The cost of producing pure silicon wafers is a little more than for polycrystalline cells but
generally there is not much difference in price these days.
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Polycrystalline Panels (also known as multi-crystalline)
Polycrystalline panels are made up from the silicon offcuts, molded to form blocks and create
a cell made up of several bits of pure crystal. Because the individual crystals are not necessarily
all perfectly aligned together and there are losses at the joints between them, they are not quite as
efficient. However, this miss-alignment can help in some circumstances, because the cells work
better from light at all angles, in low light, etc. For this reason, I would argue that polycrystalline
is slightly better suited to the UK’s duller conditions, but the difference is marginal.
The appearance is also different – you can see the random crystal arrangement and the panels
look a little bluer as they reflect some of the light.
Since they are cut into rectangular blocks, there is very little wasted space on the panel and
you do not see the little diamonds that are typical of mono or hybrid panels. Some people prefer
this more uniform appearance, others like the diamonds. The choice is yours because the overall
size and cost is very similar to monocrystalline.
Hybrid Panels – e.g. Panasonic (Sanyo) HIT

The main manufacturer of hybrid panels is Panasonic (formerly Sanyo). Their HIT module
which has a thin layer of amorphous solar film behind the monocrystalline cells. The extra
amorphous layer extracts even more energy from the available sunlight, particularly in low light
conditions. These are the most efficient panels available, so they take up the least space on your
roof.
Unless you have a very small roof and want to extract the maximum amount of energy from
it, we would not recommend using the hybrid panels at the moment. Hybrid panels are a lot more
expensive than mono or poly-crystalline panels, so that the increase in energy produced does not
justify the extra cost of buying them. Never choose hybrid panels if there is space on your roof to
fit the same amount of power with crystalline panels, otherwise you will just be paying a lot
more to generate the same amount of electricity
Black Frames and Black Backed Panels

For some reason in our crazy UK market, many people are now offering completely black
panels, not only with black frames, but also with a black backing behind the cells instead of the
traditional white. It is true that these do give a much better appearance, particularly on slate roofs
or old traditional cottages with dark colored plain tiles.
However, the problem with having a black backing, is that black absorbs light and heat from
the sun. This means that you do not get the extra benefit of some of the sunlight being reflected
back onto the cells by the backing material. Also, the panels get hotter. Solar cells, like most
electrical equipment, are more efficient when they are cooler, so that panels with black backs are
always going to perform less effectively than ones with standard white backing.
9
If you are concerned about the appearance on your property, then we would recommend
having a halfway house of using a panel with black anodized outer frame, instead of standard
aluminum, but still have a white backing material. REC, as an example, have told us that they are
not even going to produce a black backed module, because their main concern is always to try to
improve the electricity that their PV panels generate and black backing is a retrograde step.
Inverters
Solar inverters, sometimes called PV inverters, are types of electrical inverters which are
developed to change a DC (direct current) voltage from photovoltaic arrays into AC (alternating
current) currents which in turn are used to power home appliances and some utility grids. These
solar inverters are very popular nowadays as electricity costs continue to rise. Also, this helps
conserve energy for future use.
Functions of Solar Inverters
The engineering of these solar inverters and solar panels are designed like pieces of puzzles
which should fit together in order to function. Conclusively, these solar inverters are
programmed to hook up to a specific count of solar boards. The cost of inverter is practically 10
percent of the total cost of the solar board. We have to take note that these solar inverters do not
have useful lives equally long as that of solar panels. This means you have to replace your solar
inverters from time to time for you to use your solar system for its remaining useful life. For a
solar inverter to work efficiently it should have adequate solar panels connected to it. Lesser or
more panels that are connected to it could cause it not to function properly. Consequently, it
should have at least 95 percent of panels hooked up to obtain optimum performance.
Types of solar power Inverters:
There are three distinct types of solar energy inverters, each of which serve a different function
and are used for a different type of solar energy system, although each inverter still converts DC
into AC:
• Stand Alone Inverters
• Grid tie Inverters
• Dual Inverters
Standalone inverters:
Standalone inverters are used for off-grid solar arrays. In off-grid arrays, the solar panels
generate direct current energy which is then stored in rechargeable batteries. When energy is
required, the direct current is sent from the battery to the stand alone inverter and then converted
10
into alternating current which can then be used to power a home or for any other electricity
needs.
Smaller standalone inverters are used in a variety of products including solar battery chargers for
laptops, cell phones, water pumps, and even to charge a car battery. These inverters are
necessary for locations where no local power grid is available, or for anyone who wishes to
remain completely independent of energy companies.
With a standalone system, you will be unaffected by power outages because your system will be
completely independent from the power grid. You will be free to consume electricity whenever
you wish, provided your batteries are charged or your solar array is currently producing
electricity.
If you wish to run any large appliances or equipment off your standalone solar system, then it is
necessary that you purchase a surge compliant inverter. These inverters are also necessary for
most any residential or commercial off-grid solar application. Large electronics require a surge
of energy when first being turned on, so therefore it’s necessary that your inverter is able to
supply this surge of electricity when required. Larger off-grid inverters have this capability,
although always be sure to check before you make a purchase.
Grid tie inverters:
Grid tie inverters are for use in any situation where your solar array is connected directly to your
local power grid. These systems, known as grid tie solar systems, are more common in urban
areas and are much cheaper than stand alone or off-grid systems because of the lack of need for a
battery. In grid tie solar systems, direct current is generated by the solar panels, which then send
this DC energy to the grid tie inverter.
This energy is then converted into alternating current by the inverter, and finally sent directly
into the local power grid. In this type of system, it is necessary to have your solar unit wired to
your grid via your electricity meter, thus ensuring that you receive credit from the power
company for any energy you produce.
This type of system is best suited for smaller scale solar arrays, and offers no protection in case
of power outages because of the lack of a backup battery. In this type of system, some people
argue that you are not technically consuming any of the electricity that you are producing, as it is
sent directly back into the grid.
All grid tie systems are required to have a solar energy inverter with anti-islanding protection
which forces them to shut down in case of power outages. Without anti-islanding protection,
your solar system would continue to generate electricity and send small amounts back into the
electric grid during power outages. This energy would stay in the local power grid and is referred
to as an island. These islands can be extremely dangerous for utility workers who are trying to
repair the gird during a power outage
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Dual inverters:
Dual inverters are also known as backup battery inverters and are used in a multi-function solar
system. In this system, the direct current generated by the solar panels is first sent directly to a
battery.
The energy from the batteries is then sent to the inverter and converted to alternating current
whenever electricity is required. However, when the batteries are fully charged, any excess direct
current electricity that is generated is sent directly to the inverter and is then sent into the local
power grid. This system combines the other two systems into one self-reliant and possibly
money generating solar unit.
This type of solar energy inverter is obviously more expensive than the other two types because
it contains all of the benefits of the others. It allows you to produce, store, and consume any
electricity that your solar system produces, while also maximizing your systems energy
production by sending any extra energy into the local electrical grid which has the ability to
generate profit.
It also ensures that you will still be able to consume electricity even if your system isn’t
functioning, as your property will still be connected to the grid. The major benefit of this type of
solar energy inverter is that you will still be unaffected by power outages as long as your solar
batteries are charged or your system is producing electricity.
Combiners
12
Photovoltaic (PV) combiners accumulate voltage from a series string of PV panels, as well as
from multiple strings, and create a summed DC output with overcurrent protection. PV
combiners are also known as solar combiners.
Operation
The charge collected by PV panels in an array must be unified before it can be harnessed. As a
result, PV combiners are commonly found in two locations:
•String combiners collect current from a series-circuit string, which is a group of wired PV
panels.
•Array combiners create a cumulative output from multiple series strings. They can handle
higher loads than string combiners. This combiner contains series fuses and parallels these
inputs, reducing the output wiring to the charge controller or inverter. These are also called
recombiners.
A combiner provides overcurrent protection, reduces system installation time and material costs,
and makes identifying and repairing malfunctioning strings or panels more convenient. Many
also transition from expensive USE-2 or PV wires toless costly and more manageable types, such
as THWN-2.
Only small- and medium-sized grid-tied PV systems can safely eliminate a PV combiner. PV
arrays which generate less than 5 kW and have only one or two panel strings do not require
current overload protection. Instead, transitions between wire types take place in a pass-through
junction, and these circuits can then terminate at the inverter or controller. Some inverters are
capable of combining circuits before converting the current into AC, and these are known as
input converters.
13
Customized PV combiners are frequently produced because of the variability in PV system
design; until recently all combiners were completed in this manner.
Components
Effective solar combiners commonly include the following.
• DC disconnect: This switch discontinues power transfer between busbars, but does not
eliminate charge from the system. Manufacturers have begun integrating this component into the
combiner, but some building codes require DC disconnects to be placed near AC equipment or
within the structure. Regardless, the DC disconnect must be placed in an easily accessible
location. Manual and remotely actuated disconnects are available.
• Enclosure: This part protects the electrical connections from contaminants and must have
a service life at least as long as the components within. Combiners used outdoors must withstand
environmental variables such as moisture, heat, cold, ice, sunlight, dirt, wind, insects, and
animals. These housings are classified by NEMA ratings, which indicate the enclosure's
resistance to such outdoor conditions.
• Type 3 enclosures protect against rain, sleet, snow, and windblown debris, and are
undamaged by accumulated ice.
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• Type 3R protects components from rain, sleet, snow and are undamaged by accumulated
ice.
• Type 3S enclosures protect equipment from rain, sleet, snow, and windblown debris.
External mechanisms, such as a disconnect, remain operable even after accumulating ice.
• Type 4 guards against rain, sleet, snow, windblown debris, and splashing and hose-
directed water. These enclosures are not damaged by ice formation.
• Grounding terminal: By connecting the ground to the enclosure or other article, stray
currents are safely routed away from combiner components.
• Knockouts: These pre-cut perforations provide installers with conduit access, and hole
plugs close any gaps between the enclosure and wire.
• Lightning arrestor: While this can be implemented at other points in the PV system,
manufacturers are routinely integrating this component into solar combiners. By decreasing the
clamping voltage to a safe level, system components will not be damaged by stray currents from
lightning strikes.
• Overcurrent protection device (OCPD): Most combiners rely on fuses since capacities
often exceed the voltage capabilities of circuit breakers. However fuse holders cannot be opened
under load, so a DC disconnect must be included in the PV system.
• Power distribution blocks: The conductors meet at designated busbars located within the
combiner. These can be single, double, or triple pole, and typically route multiple inputs into a
cohesive output.
Mounting
Positioning the combiner near the array is optimal as it reduces wiring efforts and circuit
resistance, but difficulties often arise since the combiner should be located where it will
encounter the least amount of environmental adversity. It must also be easily accessed for
conduit installation and system maintenance.
Ideally, combiners will face north and be light in color to reduce the amount of sunlight they
receive and absorb. Though the enclosures themselves are well-suited for high temperatures,
fuses and other internal equipment are more sensitive.
15
Combiners should also be oriented so wires are routed below the terminals and through
knockouts which are directed downwards; these measures prevent the ingress of water.
Combiners are frequently mounted on racks which support PV panels, which is acceptable
provided the device obeys the aforementioned principles and is not affected by peripheral heat
from the roof, ground, or PV panel. When possible, it is recommended to run PV circuits inside a
structure and place the combiner box at an accessible indoor location.
Features
• Dead front: A polycarbonate or acrylic shield allows access to the fuses or breakers, but
prevents user contact with terminals and live wires.
• Lockable: An integral or aftermarket lock prevents unauthorized access to the combiner.
Some combiners utilize screws or security screws.
• Segmented disconnections: Combiners with multiple disconnect mechanisms allow

selected circuits to be interrupted for maintenance.
• Smart: PV combiners with a data connection facilitate real-time monitoring of the

system.
• Ventilated: An active or passive exhaust system enhances the exchange of air between
the enclosure interior and exterior, which is useful in humid climates.
Specifications
Maximum Voltage
To find the maximum combiner voltage rating for a given system, first determine the system
voltage of a panel string by multiplying the open-circuit voltage of a single panel by the number
of panels in the string, times a temperature correction factor. While this coefficient is supplied by
panel documentation, according to NEC Table 690.7 the worst-case correction factor is 1.25.
Maximum Output Current

Determine the series fuse rating for a PV panel, and multiply by the number of series strings.
This product is the maximum current and the minimum acceptable rating value for the combiner.
16
Maximum Fuse Size
The limited ampacity of each fuse, typically one per input circuit.
Disconnect Ampacity
The limited ampacity of the electrical disconnect.
Input: Quantity and Wire Gauge

Manufacturers will identify the number of knockouts on each PV box, which determines the
number of circuits which the box can safely manage. Also identified will be a range of
acceptable wire gauges.
Output: Quantity and Wire Gauge

The number of output circuits which have been consolidated from the input circuits. The output
will be a larger diameter and higher voltage wire gauge. This serves to make an installation less
costly and easier.
Enclosure Dimensions
This is the volume of the PV combiner enclosure. Large enclosures make installation of conduits
and regular maintenance easier. An increased interior air volume and enclosure surface area
assists in the temperature regulation of electronic components.
Operating Temperature
The range of suitable temperatures for combiner circuits. Manufacturers usually specific this
value in documentation, with 50° C and 60° C maximum temperatures being most common.
17
Chapter
3
CASE STUDIES
Following are some of the world renowned solar park projects which are running successfully
and can be studied in parallel with Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (QASP)
Arnedo Solar Plant, Spain

The plant produces an impressive 34 GWh every year, which will power 12,000 households and
prevent 375,000 tonnes of CO2. The facility sits on seventy hectares and houses 172,000 panels.
The project’s budget was around €180,000,000. La Rioja, a Spanish region known for its wine,
already covers 62% of its electricity with renewable sources.
18
Waldpolenz Solar Park, Germany
Waldpolenz Solar Park, which is the world’s largest thin-film photovoltaic (PV) power system,
is built in on military air base to the east of Leipzig in Germany. The power plant is a 40-
megawatt solar power system using state-of-the-art thin film technology. 550,000 First Solar
thin-film modules are used, which supplies 40,000 MWh of electricity per year. The investment
cost for the Waldpolenz solar park amounts to some Euro 130 million.
Moura photovoltaic power station, Portugal

The Moura photovoltaic power station is located in the municipality of Moura, in Alentejo,
Portugal, which is one of the sunniest regions in Europe and also one of the most economically
depressed. Its construction involves two stages, with the first one being constructed in 13 months
and completed in 2008, and the other will be completed by 2010, at a total cost of €250 million
for the project.
The power station will have an installed capacity of 46 MWp, counting a total of over 376,000
solar panels. Almost 190,000 panels (32 MW) are fitted on fixed structures, 52,000 (10 MW) on
single-axis trackers, which follow the sun across the sky, and a further 20 MW of power capacity
will be added during phase two of the project. It will occupy an area of 320 acres (130 hectares),
producing 88 GWh of electrical energy per year.
19
Puertollano Photovoltaic Park, Spain
Renovalia developed this power station in Puertollano, Ciudad Real, housing an energy park
with an installed capacity of 50 megawatts (MW). The power generated here is equivalent to the
annual domestic consumption of electricity of about 39,000 households. The energy produced
here will replace a theoretical discharge of 84,000 tons of CO2/year or, 2.1 million tons of CO2
over the 25 years during its production.
Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park, Spain

The Olmedilla Photovoltaic (PV) Park uses 162,000 flat solar photovoltaic panels to deliver 60
megawatts of electricity on a sunny day. The entire plant was completed in 15 months at a cost
of about $530 million at current EXCHANGE RATES . Olmedilla was built with conventional
solar panels, which are made with silicon and tend to be heavy and expensive.
Rancho Cielo Solar Farm, USA

The Rancho Cielo Solar Farm is the largest proposed solar farm in the United States. It is located
in an industrial community in Belen, New Mexico named Rancho Cielo, and is expected to
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provide the majority of the community’s power when it is completed. It’s cost expectation is
$840 million and it will provide 600 MWp, and will cover an area of 700 acres (280 ha). The
solar farm will be using thin film silicon panels will be built locally.
Topaz Solar Farm, USA

Topaz Solar Farm is a proposed 550 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic power plant, to be built
by First Solar, Inc. (thin film silicon solar module maker) in the Carrizo Plain, northwest of
California Valley at a cost of over $1 billion. On August 14, 2008, Pacific Gas and Electric
announced an agreement to buy all the power from the power plant
Agua Caliente Solar Project

The Agua Caliente Solar Project is a 290 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power station, built in
Yuma County, Arizona using thin-film technology based CdTe PV panels manufactured by First
Solar. The project was completed in April 2014.
39 MW was online as of December 2011 and 100 MW was completed as of April 2012. 200
MW was completed as of July 2012, and 247 MW in August 2012, when the 10th section was
completed. The addition of more panels has halted until 2013, with crates of panels covered to
protect them.
In August 2011, the Department of Energy finalized a $967 million loan guarantee for the
project. The project sponsor, NRG Solar, estimates the photovoltaic generation facility will fund
approximately 400 construction jobs and 16 full-time operating jobs, and will be one of the
largest plants of its kind in the world when completed.[8] The power produced will be sold to
PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) in California in a 25 year Power Purchase Agreement.
The Series 3 thin film panels use CdS/CdTe, and are rated from 75 watts to 77 watts each, and
are mounted at a fixed tilt angle. 20,940 are connected in each array, rated at 1.26 MWAC, and
over 400 SMA 720CP inverters are used. Two inverters are connected to each array.
Huanghe Hydropower Golmud Solar Park

Huanghe Hydropower's Golmud Solar park is a 200 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power station
located inGolmud, Qinghai Province, China. Construction began in the August of 2009, and it
was commissioned on October 29, 2011. 80 MW was provided by Yingli. The project won the
2012 China Quality Power Project Award. Output is expected to be 317 GWh per year.
21
Also in Golmud is the 20 MW Qinghai Golmud Solar Park completed in 2011 by Longyuan
Power, as well as others. There are a total of 570 MW of solar parks in Golmud, many of which
are located in the Golmud Desert Cluster, with 500 MW more expected in 2012.
Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant

Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant near Sarnia, Ontario in Canada, in September 2010 was the
world's largest photovoltaic plant with an installed capacity of 97 MWp. It has since been
surpassed by the Agua Caliente Solar Project, with its 247 megawatts [MW] (331,200 hp)
installed capacity.
In 2009, Ontario introduced a feed-in tariff renewable energy payments program paying up to
CDN 44.3 cents per kW•h for large ground arrays such as the Sarnia plant. This makes Ontario's
one of the top feed in tariff programs in the world.
Phase I (for 20 MWp) was completed in December 2009. Phase II (60 MWp) was completed in
September 2010 at a cost of C$300 million. The project was developed by Enbridge.
First Solar developed, engineered, and constructed the facility, and it will operate the Sarnia
Solar Project for Enbridge under a long-term contract. Enbridge will sell the power output of the
facility to the Ontario Power Authority pursuant to 20-year power purchase agreements under the
terms of the Ontario government's Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program.
The plant covers 1,100 acres (445.2 ha) and contains about 635 acres (96.6 ha) of modules,
which is about 1.3 million thin-film panels. The expected annual energy yield is about 120,000
MW•h, which if produced in a coal-fired plant, would require emission of 39,000 tonnes of CO2
per year.
Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park

The Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park is a 60-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power plant, located in
Olmedilla de Alarcón, Spain. When completed in July 2008, it was the world's largest power
plant using photovoltaic technology.
The plant employs more than 270,000 conventional solar panels, using solar cells made of
conventionalcrystalline silicon. Olmedilla generates about 87,500 megawatt-hours per year,
enough to power 40,000 homes. Construction of the plant cost €384 million (US$530 million).
Solarpark Finow Tower

Solarpark Finow Tower 85 MV power project is located in Finowfurth, Northeast of Berlin,
Germany and is equipped with Suntech modules. The first phase of the project, FinowTower I
(24.3 MW) was commissioned in 2010, and the second, FinowTower II (60.4 MW) in 2011.
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Lopburi Solar Farm
The Lopburi Solar Farm is a 84 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power station in Thailand. The
plant was constructed over a period of 18 months with a loan of US$70 million (2 billion baht)
from the Asian Development Bank, and is expected to generate 105 GWh/year. An additional 11
MW were added to the initial capacity of 73.16 MW in May 2013. Thailand used 145,300.19
GWh in 2009. The original cost estimate was US$271 million.
Perovo Solar Park

The Perovo Solar Park is a 100 MWp photovoltaic power station located at Perovo in Crimea. As
of July 2012 it is the world's fourth largest solar farm, and is made up of 440,000 solar panels. It
is owned by Activ Solar, and the final 20 MW stage was completed on December 29, 2011.
In 2009, Ukraine established a feed-in tariff of €0.46 per kilowatt hour until 2030, one of the
highest.
Charanka Solar Park

The largest site within the Gujarat Solar Park is being built on a 2,000-hectare (4,900-acre) plot
of land near Charanka village in Patan district, northern Gujarat. This hosts about 19 different
projects by different developers. On 19 April 2012, a total of 214 megawatts (287,000 hp) had
been commissioned. It also became the world's second largest photovoltaic power station. When
fully built out, the Charanka Solar Park will host 500 MW of solar power systems using state-of-
the-art thin film technology, and should be finished by the end of 2014. The investment cost for
the Charanka solar park amounts to some US$280 million. Construction began on 3 December
2010.
Neuhardenberg Solar Park

Neuhardenberg Solar Park is a 145-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power plant, and was Europe's
largest solar power station, located at the former Neuhardenberg military airport.
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Desert Sunlight Solar Farm
The Desert Sunlight Solar Farm is a 550 megawatt (MWAC) photovoltaic power station
approximately six miles north of Desert Center, California, in the Mojave Desert. It uses
approximately 8.8 million cadmium telluride modules made by the US thin-film manufacturer
First Solar. As of its opening in February 2015, the Solar Farm has the same 550 MW installed
capacity as the Topaz Solar Farm in the Carrizo Plain region of Central California, making both
of them tied for the largest completed solar plants by installed capacity.
Copper Mountain Solar Facility

The Copper Mountain Solar Facility is a 458 MWp solar photovoltaic power plant in Boulder
City, Nevada. Sempra Generation announced on December 1, 2010 that it had finished phase 1
of the project and the facility was generating electricity. When the facility entered service, it was
the largest photovoltaic plant in the U.S. at 58 MW.
The expected output of 100 GW•h/year from Copper Mountain Solar Facility phase 1 has been
sold to Pacific Gas & Electric under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA). Power
generated from phase 2 has been sold to Pacific Gas & Electric under a 25-year power purchase
agreement (PPA). Power generated from phase 3 is sold to the Southern California Public Power
Authority.
California Valley Solar Ranch

The California Valley Solar Ranch (CVSR) is a 250 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power plant in
the Carrizo Plain, northeast of California Valley. The project is owned by NRG Energy, and
SunPower is the EPC contractor and technology provider. The project constructed on 1,966 acres
(796 ha) of a 4,365-acre (1,766 ha) site of former grazing land.[1] It is utilizing high-efficiency,
crystalline PV panels designed and manufactured by SunPower. The project includes up to
88,000 SunPower solar tracking devices to hold PV panels that will track the sun across the sky.
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Chapter
4
QUAID-E-AZAM SOLAR PARK (QASP)
The Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park is a 1,000-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power station in

Bahawalpur,Punjab, Pakistan. The first 100-megawatt (MW) went operational in May 2015.
The renewable energy power project fueled by solar energy is named after Quaid-e-Azam, the
founder of Pakistan. It is the first ever utility scale solar power plant in the country. Once
completed, it will be Pakistan's largest and one of the largest in the world.
Once fully completed by the end of 2016 it will have the capacity to generate 1,000 MW. Tebian
Electric Apparatus was awarded the contract for the first phase of the project which was
completed in May 2015 for a cost $131 million
The first 100MW project is owned 100% by the government of Punjab, Bank of Punjab. The
turnkey contractor for the project is Tebian Electric Apparatus (TBEA) Xinjiang SunOasis Co.
Ltd. The installation of the plant was completed within a record time of 3 months (Nov 2014 to
Jan 2015), and it is currently under testing and commissioning.
The 100MW solar power plant consists of the PV area and a 100MVA substation. The electrical
output is being connected to a 132kV transmission line that runs through the Solar Park.
Currently the transmission line has a capacity of up to 400MW and the utility company is in the
process of upgrading its capacity to 1000MW.
The project started generating 100 MW of power in April 2015 and 1,000 MW by the end of
2016. The project comprises 400,000 solar panels and was built for a cost of about $131 million.
Once completed, the project will generate more than the current 550 MW installed capacity in
the Topaz Solar Farm and the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm in California. The project's expected
completion in 2016 would make it the largest photovoltaic power station.
The Government of Punjab has dedicated 6500 acres of land near Lal Sohanra, Cholistan,
Bahawalpur for the purpose of establishing a 1000 MW Solar Park for generation of electricity.
500 acres have been reserved to set up the first 100 MW PV Solar Power Plant.
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The Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (QA Solar) RFP’s set of Evaluation Criteria is designed to
achieve a threefold purpose:
Establishing a most competitive Cost-per-Kilowatt-hours (kWh) over 25 years, also
called the Leveled Cost of Electricity (LCOE), from photovoltaic (PV) energy
production in the province of Punjab
Speedily delivering quality assured, large-scale ground mounted PV power to the
grid, practically setting best-in-class standards and practices for the growth of the
PV market in the country
Triggering the rapid scaling up of ground mounted PV systems in the Bahawalpur
region to a 1 Giga Watt-peak (WP) capacity, and beyond, in the shortest possible
time: the first 100 MWp deployment is paving the way for a quick succession of
similar projects
The low Cost-per-kWh is essential to demonstrate the economic viability of PV versus other
energy sources, dispelling myths about its relative affordability. The speed of deployment
is essential to show how PV systems can start generating and delivering electricity more
easily and quickly than alternatives. The rapid scaling up will inevitably follow once the low
cost and s p e e d of delivery have b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d . The Evaluation Criteria design
is therefore in the best interests of all PV stakeholders, whether in the supply or demand
chain.
The forthcoming RFP invites bids from “Interested Parties” seeking to fulfil the role of
Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) companies, also known as Energy
Performance Contractors in the context of such energy production projects, for the (a)
design, supply, construction, turnkey installation, testing, and commissioning, and (b)
operations and maintenance (O & M) of a ground mounted grid-connected photovoltaic
(PV) power system near Bahawalpur, Pakistan. PV systems will be installed in blocks of 50
Mega Watts-peak (MWp) capacity at the specified site. The Interested Parties can bid for
a single block of 50 MWp or two blocks of 50 MWp each at the site. For each block of 50
MWp, the scope of the EPC bid must cover the entire works of turnkey installation, testing,
commissioning, and O & M, in a Design, Build, and Operate mode. A total of 100 MWp will
be awarded to the successful bidder(s) at the conclusion of the bidding process started by
The forthcoming
RFP.
The RFP asks for the simultaneous submission of Technical and Financial Proposals in separate
sealed envelopes contained in a single package. The Technical Proposals are used for triage.
The Financial Proposals are only opened for the bids with satisfactory Technical Proposals.
The combined information of these Technical and Financial Proposals is then
26
Assessed according to the Evaluation Criteria, explained herein, to determine the winning
bid(s).
The Interested Parties must structure their bids for a 25 years cost versus performance
comparison. A low turnkey installation cost in terms of who is offering the least upfront
Cost-per-Wp capital expenditure is not a winning proposition on its own. The O & M costs
and system performance guarantee over the 25 years period are important factors in
deciding the winning bidder(s). The Cost-per-kWh is calculated as follows:
Cost-per-kWh, the LCOE = the ratio of {the Capital Expenditure Budget for commissioning
the system+ ∑Annual O & M Budgets discounted over 25 years} to the {∑Annual kWh-AC
production discounted over 25 years}
The numerator of the ratio is the total cost of the capital expenditure budget for the design
and build of the PV system, from inception to the time of commissioning, and the
summation of the annual O & M budgets over 25 years from the time of commissioning.
The annual O & M budgets are discounted for summation by a yearly discount rate of eight
percent to reflect the time value of money: (∑t = 25 years Annual O & M Budget) divided by
(1 + 8%) t = year of the budget.
The denominator of the ratio is the summation of the annual guaranteed kWh-AC
production over the same 25 years from the time of commissioning, i.e. the performance
guaranteed system output to the grid, discounted in the same manner as the O & M costs:
(∑t = 25 years Annual kWh-AC production) divided by (1 + 8%)t = year of the budget.
Interested Parties are asked to provide the following information in the Technical and
Annual guaranteed kWh-AC production for 25 years, based on the estimated yearly
in-plane irradiation at the site – Technical Proposal
The capital expenditure budget for the design, supply, construction, turnkey
installation, testing, and commissioning of the completed, fully operational PV
system – Financial Proposal
Annual O & M budgets for 25 years – Financial Proposal
The Cost-per-kWh calculation using the formula described above – Financial
Proposal
All else being equal, the Interested Party with the lowest Cost-per-kWh plan wins!
There is a huge, chronic gap between electricity demand and supply in Pakistan that has a
detrimental knock-on effect throughout the economy. The quicker this gap is closed, the
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Better for the economy. To accelerate this process, QA Solar is 100% equity funding the
first 100 MWp deployment through its own earmarked financial resources.
At the same time, QA Solar wants to avoid haste that may compromise the quality and
performance of the PV system. High quality is critical to developing Pakistani market trust
in PV.
Speed is of great importance in deploying and commissioning the 100 MWp installation.
The fastest industry practices in installation are expected. The timeline will be set out in
the RFP, following consultations on this document.
The functional and technical quality of the plan described in the Technical Proposal must
meet or exceed t h e techno-commercial requirements explained herein. The financial
stability and bankability of the bidder is an important factor for the Financial Proposal.
QA Solar intends to rapidly expand the regional PV capacity to 1 GWp, transforming the
Bahawalpur area i n t o a world leading production zone o f solar electricity. Collateral
investment in the supporting infrastructure, including the grid power evacuation capacity,
is being vigorously pursued for the scale-up. The Interested Parties are encouraged to
submit their bids with this scalability in view. Those seeking to develop robust, long-term
relationships with QA Solar shall have an edge, all else being equal.
Interested Parties are expected to demonstrate convincing planning for:

Design and physical layout of the ground mounted PV system
Procurement and supply of PV system components to the specified site
Mechanical and electrical installation of the PV arrays, inverters, DC and AC sub-
systems, state-of-the-art SCADA
Systems integration of Low Voltage (LV)/Medium Voltage (MV) infrastructure,
step-up transformer, and metering
System optimization and commissioning
Training and knowledge transfer
O&M
The selected site is circa ten thousand acres of vacant government owned land at Lal
Suhanra, near Bahawalpur - see Appendix: Site Location and Condition - with ground
horizontal irradiation values of around 2170 kWh-per-m2/year, and a 132 kV line running
overhead for the grid electricity export. It is being made available for a series of 50 MWp
installations.
28
The following information will be provided to bidders for their design planning: soil
classification, resistivity, load bearing test, geotechnical analysis data, topography, North-
South and East-West slope measurements, the location of paved and dirt roads, flood-
plains, noteworthy natural or man-made structures, and the position, voltage, and
capacity of the power evacuation transmission lines. The Government of Punjab is
developing common civil infrastructure for QA Solar’s PV deployments at the selected site:
levelling the land, clearing it of any physical features which may obstruct work or cause
shading, creating a water reservoir and its supply, drainage, building lavatories, showers,
kitchen, guard rooms, access roads, fences, gates, storage, and other community facilities.
Security arrangements are also being made for the site and the people who will work
there. The EPCs will be responsible for the civil works of their PV installations contracts.
The design considerations take into account electrical and mechanical planning, the tilt of
the module arrays, the O & M needs for space, among other factors. The common
objective of each consideration, with a view to its effect on the whole system, is the
optimisation of cost versus performance.
A schematic electrical Single Line Diagram (SLD) of the entire PV installation, from the
modules to the grid-connection, identifying and listing all of the following DC and AC
components, is required. Data sheets, installation instructions, operating and service
manuals for each component must be provided.
The DC components for detailed description, technical specifications and warranties:
Module arrays (may be fixed-tilt, single-axis trackers, dual-axis trackers)
Combiner and Recombiner Boxes
DC-to-DC converters/Power optimizers
Inverters
DC cables
DC connectors
Disconnects, switches, protection
Grounding
The AC components:
Switchgear
Transformers
AC cables
AC connectors
Protection
Grounding
29
The physical layout plan needs to clearly show how the whole system is integrated
together on the ground, specifying:
Area needed per MWp installation
Dimensions of the field of installed equipment
Floor plans and elevations for all buildings, housing units, containers on site: e.g.
substations, the SCADA operational room, inverters, O & M, storage facilities
Elevation of fencing
Detailed view of the distribution of inverters and connections to the PV string/array
Detailed top view of the PV mounting structure, including module sizes and spacing
between the module rows
Detailed side and front view of the PV mounting structure
Detailed view of any foundations required for the mounting
Height, penetration, and method of installing foundation posts, mounting fixtures
Detailed top view of electrical cabling interconnections
Dimensions of cable trenches
Dimensions and weight bearing capacities of access and maintenance roads, with
a description of the required vehicles for transporting materials
Construction staging and parking areas
Location of the system metering and grid connection point
The documentation should demonstrate best-in-class professional quality, with design
drawings having accurate scales, clearly labelled objects and figures annotated in the
English language.
The Technical Proposal should present a complete project plan with workflow diagrams
for the various tasks of building and integrating sub-systems. The following information is
required:
Interdependencies between the tasks

Interdependencies with equipment order and delivery times
Preparatory work that can be done in advance
Parallel processing of tasks
Key milestones to indicate the progress is on schedule
Teams, the number and skills type of personnel, to be deployed on each task
How the speed of installation can be scaled up e.g. by the multiplication of teams
working in parallel; the installation time for each successive MWp is to be reduced
30
Tasks where the local authorities can help e.g. visas for arriving engineers, customs
clearance of arriving equipment and materials, facilitating arrangements with local
transport companies
Identification of the labour skills sets, with the number required for each skill/role,
from local construction subcontractors
The success of QA Solar is a top priority for the Government of Punjab. The government is
fully committed to supporting the project plans of the Interested Parties so that they can
efficiently focus on the fulfilment of their core EPC work without any distractions or
disruptions.
A long-term commitment, in the form of a whole system performance guarantee, is

required for each 50 MWp deployment. The performance guarantee is based on the
Performance Ratio (PR) defined and measured as follows, with the actual kWh-AC
production per year adjusted for the actual in-plane irradiation for the year:
Actual measured PR = (Annual kWh-AC production measured at the system meter
connected to the grid/Annual In-plane irradiation in kWh-per-m2 for the relevant
measurement period) x (1000 W-per-m2/MWp-DC-STC)
The MWp-DC-STC is the flash-tested DC power capacity of the installed modules at

Standard Testing Conditions.
The Interested Parties shall specify guaranteed PR values in the Technical Proposal for the
commissioning and annual output of the PV system, corresponding to the Cost-per-kWh
calculation described in 1.1 above. The actual measured PR will be compared against the
guaranteed PR at the time of commissioning and subsequently on an annual basis for
determining the O & M payments. The actual measured PR should not be less than 97
percent of the guaranteed PR.
The actual PR will be first measured at the time of commissioning for the physical
acceptance of the completed PV system. The EPC shall conduct the initial PR test for the
daylight hours of at least five consecutive days, recording data at a frequency of fifteen
minute intervals or less, to validate the guaranteed PR value for physical acceptance of the
system. If the initial PR falls short of the guaranteed PR value by more than three percent,
the EPC shall be obliged to identify and rectify the causes for the performance shortfall at
their own cost. In addition, the extra time needed to achieve within three percent of the
initial guaranteed PR value will result in liquidated damages being levied on the EPC at the
rate of one percent of the capital expenditure price per week of delay, to a cap of twenty
percent of the price.
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If the annual measured PR falls below the guaranteed PR value for that year by more than
three percent, then liquidated damages will be levied on the EPC at the rate of USD 0.35-
per-kWh for each kWh of shortfall between the irradiation-adjusted actual kWh production
for the year versus the guaranteed value. Adjustments shall be made for any grid outages
or force majeure events during the year.
If the EPC defaults in being able to provide the O & M services required for the systems
performance guarantee, then it will be liable to cover all costs incurred by QA Solar,
including the loss of the guaranteed electricity export to the grid (at the rate of USD 0.35-
per-kWh) for the disrupted period, in finding and hiring a replacement for the purpose.
The EPC shall provide a banking guarantee, or equivalent financial security, to cover the
fulfilment of its obligations, including the settlement of any performance shortfall claims,
towards the whole system performance guarantee for a period of 25 years.
QA Solar shall be able to exercise a termination of convenience provision in the O & M
contract, at a six months’ notice, after five years from the date of commissioning.
QA Solar expects a state-of-the-art system delivering ease of management, transparent

monitoring, and timely controls from the planning stage to deployment, configuration,
and commissioning, and then continuous O & M with closed-loop Supervisory Control and
Data Acquisition (SCADA) functionality to deliver reliable system predictability. The focus
should be on optimising the system PR. The SCADA system should be designed for
scalability and interoperability, using standard hardware and software protocols.
The following levels of system monitoring and controls are required:
Control room to remotely monitor and manage the whole system, on a 24 x 7 basis,
with the capability of Web-based information sharing
Frequent data collection, analysis, and display of the fundamental parameters of
the system output and that of its sub-systems
Alarms/alerts and timely notification of key performance indicators
Monthly, quarterly, and yearly reporting of deviations from the guaranteed PR
Bi-annual reports for the O & M service contract: system availability, system output
(characterisation of spatial and temporal variations), capacity factor, degradation
trends, average and cumulative output
Data must be readily available for the fulfilment of all warranties and performance
guarantees
Network analysis with a closed feedback loop
Metering, interfaces, and protection
Data logging at intervals of not less than fifteen minutes, processing, transmission,
and back-up
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Equipment condition monitoring
Separate inverter, zone, and string level monitoring
String, array, and combiner box measurements
Consolidated meteorological data collection and presentation (temperature,
weather, and irradiation measurements)
Back-up power for a minimum of twelve hours
The Technical Proposal should not only explain the IT systems architecture (the physical,
link, internet, transport, and application layers), hardware and software descriptions of
servers, bus drivers, communication cables, the security and information exchange
protocols for the data management outlined above, but also the business processes of
how it will be used to deliver timely information for preventive and corrective measures to
maintain optimal system output.
Irradiation and temperature measurements are to be recorded at intervals of fifteen

minutes or less. Particular care must be taken for the ventilation of the measurement
equipment. The equipment should have the capability of recording and storing data for
two days using auxiliary DC power.
Irradiation:
The irradiation measurement equipment should be calibrated by an independent certified
third party. Pyranometers should be placed on at least three locations per 50 MWp of the
installed PV module arrays: one at each location for measuring the horizontal plane
irradiation and the other for the in-plane irradiation. The pyranometers should conform to
the standards of ISO 9060 (SR4: secondary quality) or the WMO classification, and IEC
60904. Therrmopile sensors are preferable to silicon photodiodes. The ground based
sensor data is to be supplemented with satellite data to quantify longer term variations
(e.g. from NASA’s Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy data set).
Temperature:
Ambient air and the module temperature to be measured by two sensors at a minimum of
three different locations per 50 MWp, in conformity with IEC 60751 AA. Particular care
should be taken to the method of attaching the temperature sensor on the back of the
module. The dependence of the system and sub-systems performance on temperature
variations should be characterised by the SCADA.
Weather:
A weather monitoring station at a minimum of three different locations per 50 MWp with
redundant humidity sensors, a rain gauge, and a wind profiling unit/anemometer (speed
and direction), preferably capable of data telemetry or other electronic connectivity to the
33
SCADA server. The environmental analysis is important to understand any unexpected
degradation effects in the modules or other system components.
Pre-shipment flash tested data from an independent certified module testing agency is
required for each module. The flash testing report should contain the unique barcode and
labelled performance headlines (maximum power, short-circuit current, open-circuit
voltage, maximum current, maximum voltage) of the module. The flash-test data must be
equal or higher than the sum of the nameplate ratings of the module supply. A narrow
range of power tolerances are expected of the modules. A visual inspection from the same
agency is also required to sample for defects of scratched front surface, misaligned cells,
poor labelling, and poor sealing.
The following details should be specified for the selected modules:
Maximum rated power
Rated power tolerance
Power conversion efficiency
Fill factor
Series fuse rating
Connector type
Cable length
Materials and workmanship warranty of a minimum of 10 years
Power warranty/performance guarantee of a minimum of 25 years: the power
output should not fall below 90% within 10 years, and below 80% within 25 years;
linear warranty preferred
Cross-sectional view of the module materials
Type of cells comprising the module, and number of cells in series
Use of integrated bypass diodes
Voltage at the maximum power point
Current at the maximum current point
Open-circuit voltage
Short-circuit current
Maximum system voltage
Temperature coefficient of short-circuit current
Temperature coefficient of open-circuit voltage
Temperature coefficient of maximum power
Operating temperature range and nominal operating cell temperature
Tolerance to wind (maximum load) and hailstone impact
Relative PCE reduction and I-V curves for different light intensities
Compatibility to different inverter designs
34
Dimensions and weight
Type of frame with weatherproof specifications
Junction box degree of protection
Modules per box and 40 feet container
The following module standards should be met, as applicable to crystalline silicon or thin-
film modules:
IEC 61215
IEC 61416
IEC 61730
IEC 60364-4-1
IEC 61701
IEC 60904-1
IEC 60904-3
TUV, VDE, or equivalent certification of passing the standards
The EPC shall warrant and provide evidence that their selected modules have been tested
for susceptibility to Potential Induced Degradation (PID). For crystalline silicon modules,
the emerging standard for PID evaluation is IEC 62804. The installed modules must be
vigilantly checked for any development of PID, a long-term effect of temperature,
humidity, and the module’s voltage potential and sign. In the case of reversible PID i.e. the
surface polarization effect occurring in crystalline silicon modules, the capability of prompt
corrective action should have been planned beforehand.
QA Solar expects mature module technology with a proven track record in large-scale
ground mounted PV installations. References for the module technology are of significant
importance. Modules which run the risk of developing degradation effects over a 25 years
period, such as corrosion and delamination from electrochemical activity, will be viewed
unfavourably.
The choice between fixed-tilt, single-axis, or dual-axis tracking module mounting systems
should be justified. The selection of the optimum tilt angle for the module installation, the
angle between the modules and the ground, should be specified and explained,
highlighting any ability for adjusting and locking the angle to three different seasons (e.g.
latitude angle, latitude minus fifteen degrees, latitude plus fifteen degrees). The height of
the module above ground should also be carefully chosen, considering factors such as
damage from sand driven by wind and clearance from the ground to allow for cooling air
to circulate at the back of the module and any condensation of moisture to dissipate.
Mounting structure to support the module must be made of durable material, resistant to
sandstorms, high wind speeds (up to 40 m/s), corrosion (passing the salt spray test, among
35
other verification), and UV induced degradation. The material must be compatible with the
module frame material so as to avoid any adverse electrolytic/galvanic effects. The EPC
should provide detailed drawings of any foundations it plans to use, with an explanation
of the methods it will use to ensure maximum throughput in laying down the foundations
(e.g. a terrain versatile hydraulic ram for insertion of foundation posts). All fastening
structures must be verified for durability and resistance to environmental degradation for
25 years, the lifetime requirement of the complete structure.
Stainless steel fasteners with anti-seize lubricant are recommended. The structural
elements should consist of anodized aluminium, galvanised steel as per ASTM 123, or
materials with equivalent if not better properties. The applicable construction codes for
each structural element should be quoted.
The use of certified steel racking systems with clips clamping the module to the rail,
without the need of bolts and nuts, may be considered. The use of pre-fabricated truss
systems with helical anchors is also worth consideration. In addition to the standard
requirements for a robust 25 year structural guarantee, the ease and speed of installation
in sandy silt soil deserves attention.
The mounting structures must be grounded for maximum short-circuit current and
lightning protection. A racking design that removes the need of module to module
grounding by using the common rail for the grounding is recommended for consideration.
The EPCs are encouraged to discuss their plans for the mounting structures with the
representatives of QA Solar as early as possible to identify possible local subcontractors
and materials suppliers. An early engagement with local subcontractors will be viewed
favourably in the techno-commercial planning assessment.
The EPC should arrange a full-service package for the selected inverters for an extended
warranty period of 25 years, with the option of an O & M service plan guaranteeing 99%
uptime.
The EPC should explain its strategy of distributing or centralising inverters, as the case may
be, in view of the following considerations:
Balance of System (BOS) costs of inverter and labour
Increased fault tolerance
Optimising the inverter’s DC capacity with respect to the PV array
Physical placement (though availability of space is not an issue at this site)
Timely and effective monitoring at a granular/zoomed-in level
Available uptime
Ease of replacement
36
The selected inverter should not only deliver AC to DC conversion for use by the AC load,
but also offer the following functionality:
Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) and string/sub-array management
Matching grid voltage and frequency at point-of-coupling
Anti-islanding protection
Voltage regulation through reactive power support: remotely set point control for
voltage stability
Frequency regulation
Voltage and frequency fault ride-through: no disconnection of the connection
through voltage dip and change of active power generation, feed-in of reactive
power during the fault for voltage stabilisation
Limitation of voltage fluctuation due to switching operations and long-term flicker
Limitation of short-circuit current
Limitation of steady-stage voltage changes to 2% of the nominal value
Limitation of current harmonics and higher frequency components up to 9 kHz
Active power control reduction: remotely set point of control in case of network
congestions or risk of system collapse
Advanced communication, with intelligent alerts/warnings, to the SCADA server
The grid frequency response should satisfy the limits in the table below:
Frequency range Inverter response

<=48 Hz Stops within 0.2s
48 - 49.5 Hz Stops after 10 minutes
49.5 - 50.2 Hz Runs normally
50.2 - 50.5 Hz Stops after 2 minutes
and can't grid connect
>=50.5 Hz Stops within 2 minutes
and can't grid connect
The 3-phase voltage imbalance at the grid connection point should be within the following
limits:
Imbalance of negative sequence voltage less than 2% and 4% in the long and short
run respectively
Imbalance of positive sequence voltage less than 1.3% and 2.6% in the long and short
run respectively
The following inverter detail needs to be specified:
Input voltage range
Maximum operating input current
PV array configuration options: positive ground, negative ground
DC input combiner options
37
Integrated transformer/transformerless
Peak efficiency
Weighted efficiency
Efficiency variation for various AC loads
Nominal power
Nominal output voltage
Output voltage range
Maximum output current
Standby power consumption
Nominal output frequency, 3-phase
Harmonic distortion
Power factor at full load
Dynamic power factor control
Power curtailment range and unit steps
Fault tolerance and automatic system recovery
Operating temperature range
Conversion efficiency dependence on temperature
Cooling method
Noise levels at a distance of five metres
Humidity tolerance
Anti-discharge, reverse polarity, and lightning protection
Protection rating: NEMA 3R, IP54/IP55/IP60
The following standards and industry practices should be followed, as technically relevant:
IEEE 1547
ANSI/IEEE C37.90-2
ANSI/IEEE C37.98
ANSI/IEEE C37.2
IEC 255-21-1
IEC 255-22-2
IEC 255-5
IEEE 519
EN 50160
EN 51078
EN 61400-21
IEC 61000
IEC 60439-1
IEC 62109-1
IEC 60529/IP20
38
IEC 60721-3-3 Class 3M3
TUV, VDE, or equivalent certification of passing the relevant standards
To reduce the BOS labour costs, it is desirable to have a high level of functionality
integrated into the inverter package.
The required functionality for the Combiner Boxes should reflect the latest developments
in this technology, and how the BOS electronics can be leveraged for improved systems
reliability and performance. Specifications to include:
Flexibility and maximum of input circuits
Input wire size range
Output wire size range
Number of output conductors
Maximum operating continuous current
Number of output terminals
Configurable for positive and negative grounded arrays
Remote disconnection under load
Maximum fuse size
Touch-safe fuse holders
Operating temperature
Relative humidity
NEMA 3R rating
Monitoring interface for SCADA
Flexibility and maximum number of input circuits

Fuse Ampacity
Number of output terminals
Maximum continuous output current
Configurable for positive/negative grounded and floating arrays
Ground fault detection
Current monitoring
Interruption with ground fault monitoring
Transient surge suppression
Touch-safe protective cover
Relative humidity
NEMA 3R rating
39
Monitoring interface for SCADA
:
EN 61000-6
EN 60439-1
EN 50178
The use of power optimizers should be described, including the expected performance
benefits, any resulting simplification of the inverter requirements, the improved safety of
protection against arc and fire hazards, and better overall system management. Design
considerations:
Ease of installation on the module frame
Flexible compatibility with modules and inverters
MPPT per module
High efficiency (>99.5%) for both mismatched and shading conditions
Real-time performance measurement
Automatic module shut-down for safety
Environmental robustness
25 year reliability and warranty
The specifications to be stated:
Rated input DC power
Maximum input DC voltage
MPPT operating range
Maximum continuous input current
Maximum efficiency
Weighted efficiency
Overvoltage category
Maximum output current
Operating output voltage
Safety output voltage per optimizer
Maximum allowed system voltage
Input connector
Output wire type
Protection range
Relative humidity
Standards:
40
IEC 61000-6-2,3
IEC 62109-1
Restriction of Use of Hazardous Substances compliant
The important design factors for the connectors:

High current rating
Minimal contact resistance
Convenient handling
Broad compatibility
Incompatible with AC connectors to avoid mistakes during installation
Force required to unlock connectors from cables, whether a tool is required for it
or not
Standards:
EN 50521
IEC 60512
MC4 is effectively an industry staple for DC connectors, if not a standard, even though it
is a proprietary design.
The DC cables functionality and specifications to include:

Type of conductor: material and classification of wire
Insulation e.g. flame retardation and halogen free
Sheath properties
Clear labelling
Tests for response to fire (low smoke), damp heat, UV resistance, halogen free
Lifetime of 30 years
Touch-safe plug connectors
Screening for lightning protection
Bending radius
Voltage rating
Current carrying capacity
Operational storage temperature
Table showing variation of number of cores x nominal cross-section, shape of
conductor, nominal value of insulation thickness, nominal value of sheath thickness,
external cable diameter, maximum resistance at 20 degrees Celsius, current
capacity in air, current carrying capacity in the ground, and weight, or the
equivalent information in another format showing the correlated variations
41
Characterisation of cable voltage drop and related power losses
Sizing of cables according to the number of modules and strings per array
Single conductor, double insulation cables in modules for short-circuit current
protection
Sizing of main DC cable to minimise the overall voltage drop between the PV array
and inverter
Standards:
IEC 60228
IEC 60364-1
IEC 6063-1-1
IEC 60754
IEC 61034
IEC 60811-2
CSN-EN-ISO-4892
EN 60068-2-78
DIN-VDE-0295
The AC cables functionality and specifications to include:

Rated voltage
Nominal voltage between phase and neutral
Nominal voltage between phases
Sizing to minimise voltage drop and losses
Current carrying capacity: capable of operating and short-circuit currents
Number of conductors
Type of conductor
Conductor material
Nominal cross-section of conductor
Conductor resistance
Classification of wire
Type of insulation material and thickness
Sheath properties and thickness
External diameter
Lifetime longer than 25 years
Rated voltage
Flame tested
Bending radius
Choice of single core or multi-core
Core insulation (typically cross-linked polyethylene)
42
Weight
Packaging detail
The runs of both the main DC and AC cables, in the system layout, should be adjusted to
minimise power losses.
Standards:
IEC 60502
IEC 60364
IEC 60804
DIN-VDE-0276
DIN-EN-50265-2
The functionality and specifications to be considered for AC connectors:

Fast and easy cable connections, whether special tool is required or not
Rated voltage
Rated current
Contact resistance
Current carrying capacity
Type of material
Flame test
Waterproof test
Chemical resistance
Halogen free
Connection method
Locking force
Insertion force
Disengagement force
External cable diameter range
Stripping length of the individual wire
Dimensions of conductor cross-section
Weight
Standards:
TUV 2 PIG 1915 AC Solar Connector certificate
IP67
EN 60529
DIN-VDE-0472
43
The switchgear design and order time, for the 132 kV transmission line, might be a rate
limiting step for the 100 MWp deployment. It therefore deserves priority attention. The
following functions and specifications need to be planned:
Rated voltage
Short-duration power withstand frequency voltage
Rated lightning impulse withstand voltage
Rated frequency
Peak-withstand current
Short-circuit making current
Short-time withstand current
Short-circuit breaking current
Insulating medium
Second fault rating
Busbars
Rated normal current for busbars
Rated normal current for feeders
Degree of protection
Second internal arc rating
Circuit breakers: protection and metering
Protection relay
Switch disconnector panel
Warranty and insurance
NEMA enclosure type and IP code
Standards:
IEC 60038
IEC 60095
IEC 62271-200
IEC 60364
Functions and specifications:

3-phase, double wound, continuously rated, oil-cooled, enclosed transformers,
use of low loss core steel and close coupled copper windings
Enclosure specifications (e.g. steel floor, fluid tight, sealed tank)
Incoming terminals
Outgoing terminals
44
kVA rating
Primary side voltage
Secondary side voltage
Vector group
Insulation type
Frequency rating
Short-circuit impedance
Maximum ambient temperature and altitude
Humidity tolerance
Cooling method
Oil weight
Protection system
Auxiliary service lines
Fittings with the transformer
Noise levels
Warranty and insurance
Tests and inspection routines
Standards:
IEC 62446
IEC 60076
IEC 60085
IEC 60214
The installation time of the PV system is a few months, but it has to be operated and
maintained for 25 years. Although a PV system is much lower maintenance than other
energy generators, its optimal performance is still sensitive to best-in-class O & M
practices. Therefore a major weight of importance is attached to the O & M planning:
Smooth functioning of all interconnections and data communications of the system
performance
Optimal level of SCADA monitoring
Maintaining operation of the data links
Maintaining a customer support hotline for QA Solar
Providing regular reports of repairs, maintenance, and tests
Performance variance analysis of the modules and inverters
Preparation for known failure modules of equipment: quick responses in
unscheduled maintenance
45
Prioritisation of item checks and replacements: understanding of the impact of
different items on the overall system availability and performance; the failure of a
relatively inexpensive item can be disproportionately damaging
Scheduled maintenance routines: e.g. inspections of modules with polarized
sunglasses to check for discolouration, the first signs of delamination, loose wires
in the electronics, corrosion of mounting structures, erosion
Priority inspection routines for inverters and the MV switchgear station: e.g.
ventilation is working, no errors in the data communications
Characterisation of soiling and its cleaning routines: what parts are most affected,
what are the most cost-effective cleaning techniques
Track chronic negative deviations in the module output, i.e. power tolerances
consistently in the negative
Negotiating a warranty reserve for replacements with the suppliers
Maintaining adequate reserves for timely replacement
Insuring products at different levels but for sensible costs; the insurance policy
should not become expensive compared to the replacement cost of the item
Warranties and insurance policies should be assignable/transferrable to QA Solar in
case it decides to take over the O & M at some stage after five years
Health and safety policy and standards
The Technical Proposals should describe the O & M planning in considerable detail, with
reference to what the EPC has accomplished in other projects.
The EPC is expected to train local professionals and workers at two different levels, with
the focus being the installation and O & M of PV systems. The first level is professionals
hired by QA Solar to coordinate activities with the EPC, including the fulfilment of the O &
M service agreement. These professionals may already have work experience in PV or
related fields. The interaction with these professionals will mainly be knowledge transfer
for supervisory O & M management roles, enabling efficient collaboration in scaling up 50
MWp deployments on the Lal Suhanra site and elsewhere.
The second level, of greater importance, is the vocational training of local workers to
develop skills in handling and troubleshooting the PV system components. A non-
exhaustive list of what such training would entail:
Imparting a basic understanding of how photovoltaic systems work, with an
explanation of the nature and role of each component
Workshops on the basics of AC and DC electronics
Knowledge of how to manage the SCADA system: the monitoring methods,
feedback loops, corrective interventions required upon different alerts
46
Being coached about the installation and maintenance of each product, with
reference to its manual; with demonstration and practice of the installation and
maintenance techniques
Translation of the manuals into the vernacular
Ability to read and interpret installation design drawings, electrical diagrams
Ability to make such drawings and diagrams
Diagnostic tests and troubleshooting for the main equipment items: e.g. modules,
inverters, transformers, combiner boxes, power optimizers
Use of Infra-Red glasses for the thermal inspection of modules
Approved methods to clean the modules
Insulation resistance testing
Reading and interpreting the labels on the different products
Practice of the different interconnection methods used e.g. crimping, clamping
Instruction on applying the proper torque labels to connections
Skills and methods necessary to deal with high voltage and current carrying
electrical equipment
Ability to identify the the naked, live parts of such electrical equipment
Knowledge of protective gear to wear when dealing with such equipment
Checking for electrical grounding
Shutting down the system when necessary e.g. when opening non-load breaking
switches
Practice of working in pairs
Brief and precise documentation of work done for the benefit of fellow workers
The purpose of such training is to create a win-win-win scenario for the EPC, local workers,
and QA Solar. An increasing pool of skilled local workers will enhance the EPC’s ability to
economically and speedily build additional 50 MWp blocks on site, thereby increasing their
operational profitability. The local workers will find recurrent value-added employment.
QA Solar will gain the ability, through this newly skilled resource pool, to take over O & M
services and pursue further PV developments.
The Lal Suhanra site does not have grid power, at present, so an off-grid power station
needs to be planned for commencing work. Diesel generators would be the obvious
choice. The permanent arrangement of auxiliary power is the responsibility of the EPC.
The Interested Parties are encouraged to visit the site and engage in discussions with local
subcontractors as soon as possible. QA Solar and the Government of Punjab will assist the
Interested Parties with their visa applications, make introductions to local contractors,
advise on travel and accommodation arrangements, and facilitate their visits to the site
with appropriate directions.
47
Grounding and lightning protection must be adequately planned for the system. This
planning should be detailed in a separate health and safety document for the site works.
The nearest fire-fighting unit should be briefed on how to deal with fires arising from such
power installations. In addition, emergency fire-fighting equipment should be available at
the site from the start. First aid kit and basic medical supplies should also be available.
These precautions cannot be overemphasised.
All of the project documentation, drawings included, and correspondence with QA Solar
should be in the English language.
The techno-commercial requirements outlined above are not meant to be exhaustive or

prescriptive in minute detail. QA Solar is seeking convincing detail in the Technical
Proposals, but it is also leaving room for the Interested Parties to design the optimal
system according to their skills and knowledge. The whole system, how it fits together and
delivers optimal performance, is more important than the parts. The Interested Parties
are encouraged to articulate innovative approaches to this project, without creating new
risks. The Interested Parties may therefore add any information they consider useful, to
the success of this endeavour, in the Technical and Financial Proposals.
The Technical Proposal should begin by describing the Interested Party’s technical
credentials. The Interested Party may be a consortium, but it must include an
internationally experienced EPC as the leading entity of the consortium for the purpose of
being evaluated in the Technical Proposal. The technical credentials for the Evaluation
Criteria are:
Description of management team and corporate structure
Strategic and operational focus of company
Number of employees and the organisational classification of their skills
Location of headquarters
International offices
Cumulative MWp of ground mounted PV turnkey installations with a breakdown per
country
References from owners of these installations with quotes of PRs
Annual turnover from ground mounted turnkey PV installations for the year ending
September 2013
Cumulative MWp-years of ground mounted PV installations for which O & M
services have been delivered
References from owners of these installations with quotes of PRs
48
Annual turnover from ground mounted O & M PV installations for the year ending
September 2013
Points for the technical credentials will be scored as follows:
20 points for each greater than or equal to 10 MWp single-location ground
mounted turnkey PV installation to date – a necessary condition for the inclusion of
such projects is obtaining a satisfactory reference from the relevant
owner/developer/financier about the installation being completed on time and
within budget, with an acknowledgement that it is still operating sufficiently close
to the originally targeted PR
10 additional points for each such installation that is greater than or equal to 20
MWp – subject to the same necessary condition as above
10 additional points for each such installation that is greater than or equal to 30
MWp – subject to the same necessary condition as above
10 additional points for each such (greater than or equal to 10 MWp) installation
that has been completed in what is a foreign country for the EPC (i.e. in a country
different to its headquarters) – subject to the same necessary condition as above
-----
10 points for each greater than or equal to 10 MWp single-location ground mounted
turnkey PV installation for which the EPC is currently providing O & M services (as
the primary contractor for these services with the responsibility of achieving the
originally targeted PR) – a necessary condition for the inclusion of such projects is
a satisfactory reference from the owner that the installation is being maintained
within budget and sufficiently close to the originally targeted PR
5 additional points for each such installation that is greater than or equal to 20 MWp
– subject to the same necessary condition as above
5 additional points for each such installation that is greater than or equal to 30 MWp
– subject to the same necessary condition as above
5 additional points for each installation that is being maintained in what is a foreign
country for the EPC (i.e. in a country different to its headquarters) – subject to the
same necessary condition as above
-----
The number of maximum scoring points from the technical credentials is capped at
300 points. The reason for the cap is obvious: bidders do not simply rest on their
past laurels.
The EPC “XYZ”, headquartered in Pakistan, has a total of 8 x 10 MWp (or larger) single-
location ground mounted turnkey PV installations, 3 of which happen to be greater than
49
20 MWp, 2 greater than 30 MWp, and 1 is outside Pakistan. Points from these ground
mounted turnkey PV installations = 8 x 20 + 3 x 10+ 2 x 10 + 1 x 10 = 220 points.
The same EPC “XYZ” is also the primary contractor of O & M services to 10 x 10 MWp ground
mounted turnkey PV installations, 3 of which happen to be greater than 20 MWp, 2 greater
than 30 MWp and 1 is outside Pakistan. Points from the O & M of these ground mounted
PV installations = 10 x 10 + 3 x 5 + 2 x 5 + 1 x 5 = 130 points.
The EPC “XYZ” receives a total of 300 points for its technical credentials (350 being reduced
to the cap of 300).
The rest of the Technical Proposal should focus on detailing the proposed plan for
Designing, Building, and Operating 50 MWp or 100 MWp of ground mounted PV systems at
the proposed site. The proposed plan should address the level and type of detail outlined
in the techn0-commercial requirements section above. The Interested Party does not
however have to use the techno-commercial requirements section as a template for its
proposal. As long as the necessary categories and relevant detail are addressed, the
Interested Party may present its plan in an alternative structure.
Scoring points for the rest of the Technical Proposal are allocated as follows:
Design and Physical Layout: 20 points
Installation Workflow Plan: 25 points
Modules (including Module Structures): 30 points
Inverters: 25 points
DC sub-system, less modules & inverters (combiner boxes, the rest): 10 points
AC sub-system (switchgear, transformer, the rest): 25 points
SCADA (including Meteorological Sensors): 15 points
O & M plan: 25 points
Training plan: 25 points
Sub-total of 200 points.
The maximum Technical Score possible out of the Technical Proposal is 500 points.
The points for each category will be awarded by the representatives of QA Solar, after
assessing the corresponding planning detail in the Technical Proposal versus industry best
practices. These points will be solely awarded on the strength of the effort put into the
Technical Proposal. The EPC may have excellent technical credentials but its score for the
planning of the proposed 2 x 50 MWp PV systems will only be based on the content of its
Technical Proposal. Examples of what the EPC has accomplished in similar projects
elsewhere along with a description of the steps it is taking to repeat their
50
accomplishments in this particular case will be viewed favourably. Such references will
constitute a significant advantage over other contenders.
For the EPCs seeking to deploy the entire 100 MWp, it is even more important to show
convincing planning that it can achieve the commissioning within the expected timeline.
The Technical Proposal shall conclude by providing the schedule of guaranteed PR values
for the commissioning and annual output of the installed system for a period of 25 years,
as required by 1.1 and 2.3 of this document.
To sum up:
The content of the Technical Proposal shall (a) provide the requested information
about the EPC leading the bid, (b) describe its detailed plan to deliver 50 MWp or
100 MWp of ground mounted turnkey PV installations at the specified site in terms
of the techno-commercial requirements described earlier, and (c) a guaranteed PR
set of values for 25 years
Points, out of a combined total of 500, will be scored on the basis of the information
provided in (a) and (b) above. The PR information of (c) will be used in the Financial
Proposal, if the Technical Proposal of the Interested Party passes the Evaluation
Criteria below
The Evaluation Criteria are:
i. The EPC must have completed a cumulative minimum of 50 MWp of fully

operational ground mounted turnkey PV installations, by the time of the closing
of this bid.
ii. The EPC must have a Technical Score of at least 280 out of the maximum
possible of 500 points.
Only those Technical Proposals satisfying both (i) and (ii) of the Evaluation Criteria will be
approved for a consideration of their Financial Proposals and the possible award of
procurement contracts.
The Financial Proposals shall begin by providing the requested financial information,
specified in the RFP, about the long-term bankability of the Interested Parties. The
financial information will be used by QA Solar to assess the credit worthiness of the
Interested Parties for fulfilling the Design, Build, and Operate services contemplated in the
bid.
The Interested Parties shall then provide the following information in the Financial
Proposals:
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The capital expenditure budget is the all-inclusive turnkey installation/capital expenditure
price till the date of commissioning the PV system. It is one of the two components in the
numerator of the decisive Cost-per-kWh factor defined in 1.1 of this document. It covers
all the items, and the associated accessories, detailed in the techno-commercial
requirements, except for training and O & M.
The proposed payment terms (to be made in Pakistan Rupees) for the capital expenditure
budget:
Initial payment against bank guarantee at commencement: 10%
Completion of ground works for installing system components: 10%
Arrival of system components on site: 25%
(This payment can be sub-divided and staggered according to the order of arrivals
of the various components and the installation plan timeline)
Completion of civil, mechanical, and electrical installation works: 20%
Commissioning of the installed system: 20%
Satisfactory performance for one year: 10%
Satisfactory performance for two years: 5%
The Interested Parties shall provide a schedule of annual O & M budgets for 25 years from
the time of commissioning of the installed system, i.e. the all-inclusive price for O & M
services including training. The annual fee, adjusted for any liquidated damages, shall be
paid in one single sum on the specified date in the O & M contract.
The Interested Parties should calculate and show their Cost-per-kWh figure of merit in the
Financial Proposal in accordance with 1.1, clearly showing the values for each input in the
calculation. The Interested Parties who have passed the credit worthiness assessment will
then be awarded points according to their Cost-per-kWh figure of merit. The Interested
Party with the lowest Cost-per-kWh will be awarded 1500 points as their Financial Score.
The other Interested Parties will achieve points for their Financial Score according to the
formula:
Financial Score = (Lowest Cost-per-kWh/Cost-per-kWh of Interested Party under
consideration) x 1500
Final Evaluation Criteria of Financial Proposal

The winning EPC bidder(s) will be decided by adding the Technical Score and Financial
Score. The EPC bidder(s) with the highest score(s) wins. The decision whether the entire
52
100 MWp is awarded to one EPC bidder or two EPC bidders in quanta of 50 MWp will solely
depend on the following criterion:
QA Solar is not sufficiently convinced that one EPC can deliver the 100 MWp
according to its required timeline, and that sharing the procurement awards
between two EPCs will mitigate this risk
The EPC bidder(s) with the two highest totals of the Technical and Financial Scores will be
awarded the procurement contracts of 50 MWp each.
Feedback from prospective bidders about the techno-commercial requirements and

Evaluation Criteria described herein will be gathered next week. The RFP will then be
formalised and issued before the end of next week.
For the avoidance of any doubt, this document does not constitute a RFP. It is only a draft
for public and stakeholder consultation. All of the statements are provisional, subject to
further review and change. No representations, legal claims or offers are being made
herein.
53
Chapter
5
SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENT OF QASP
There are certain steps that are followed so that any power generation plant may be
successfully set-up and can be made operational. Similarly, for installing the solar power
modules at Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park there are certain measures to be taken which are explained
below:
1. Key Line Diagram
A key line diagram represents a simplified notation for a three phase system. It has its
largest application in power flow studies. Key line diagram establishes the principle
electrical distribution system.
For the standard representation, following requirements shall be indicated:
1. Rated voltage, no. of phase and wires, and frequency of each bus bar.
2. Rated current and short circuit current of major equipment.
3. Generator rating
4. Transformer rating and configuration
5. HV and MV motor rating
Standard Voltage Classification by NTDC

 Extra-High Voltage: above 230KV
 High Voltage: 69KV – 230KV
 Medium Voltage: 1KV – 69KV
54
 Low Voltage: 0KV – 1KV
2. Single Line Diagram
A single line diagram shows power distribution system including the necessary for the
electrical equipment, protection and monitoring to be power generation, transmission and
distribution.
For standard representation, following information shall be indicated:
1. Electrical distribution system including all equipment – generators, transformers,
switchgears, MCCs, bus ducts, capacitors, reactors, circuit breakers, fuses, earthing
devices, etc.
2. Equipment information:
Generators: Rating and tag number
Transformers: Rating, winding configuration and tag number
Circuit breakers: Type of breaker, rated current and short circuit current.
Main bus: Rated voltage, rated current, number of phases and wires, frequency and
short time rating.
Current transformer (CT): Current ratio
Voltage transformer (VT): Voltage ratio
MV/LV motors: Tag number, rated output (KW), cable no. , fuse rating, circuit
breaker rating.
3. Reference drawing No
After the finalization of key line diagrams the substations are to be set up. Important features and
components of a substation are mentioned in points below.
3. Substations
 Substations transform voltage from high level to low level, or vice versa. A
substation includes transformers to change voltage levels between high
transmission voltages and lower distribution voltages, or at the interconnection of
two different transmission voltages. At generation point, generation substations
transform low voltage into high voltage. At distribution substation, high voltage is
transformed back into low voltage.
55
 Tracing back the path followed by the electricity:
 Substations normally include a set of electrical components which includes

transformers, circuit breakers, protective relays, etc.
 A substations itself is a switchgear.
 Substation design normally starts with designing a SLD which gives number of
bus bars and substation bays including the relevant equipment.
There are types of substations that are used nowadays, based on their insulation type. Like
AIS-Air Insulated Substation, GIS-Gas Insulated Substation and Hybrid Switchgear. Their
details are mentioned below:
AIS- Air Insulated Substation
Air Insulated Substations (AIS) cover a large area, comparatively. These are the
conventional substations that are constructed according to standardized minimal distances
between phase and earth according to IEC 61936-1.
GIS- Gas Insulated Substation
Compressed SF6 gas is used as a medium for MV and LV switchgears. GIS has the
advantage of occupying lesser area than AIS, and has a compact design.
Hybrid Switchgear
Hybrid switchgear is one that combines the components of traditional air-insulated

switchgear (AIS) and SF6 gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) technologies. It is characterized
by a compact and modular design, which encompasses several different functions in one
FWBS.
Bushings are used for AIS and GIS medium separation.
56
4. Substation Components
1. Transformers
At the generation, step-up transformers raise the voltage level as high as 500kV; this is
done to reduce the transmission losses, since current decreases on increase in voltage
level.
As it comes to the distribution side, voltage level is stepped-down:
500kV -> 220kV -> 132kV -> 11kV ->440V (according to NTDCL standards)
Power Transformer Distribution Transformer

 Used for the transmission purpose at  Used for the distribution of
heavy load, high voltage greater electrical energy at low voltage
than 33 KV and 100% efficiency. as less than 33KV in industrial
purpose and 440v-220v in
domestic purpose. It work at low
efficiency at 50-70%
 Generally operated at full load.  Operated at loads less than full
Hence, it is designed such that load for most of time. Hence, it is
copper losses are minimal. designed such that core losses are
minimal.
 On-load tap changer  Off-load tap changer
 Generally rated above 200MVA.  Generally rated less than 200
 Transformers are connected in wye- MVA.
delta configuration.  On HV side has delta connection;
on LV side has wye connection.
 Two type:
i. Pole-mounted
ii. Pad mounted
IEC 60076 describe the standards for transformer designing and testing.
Auto-transformers, however, have greater capacity as compared to that of power
transformers.
For transformer designing factors like basic insulation level and temperature
consideration are considered.
Vector Groups:
These indicate the configuration scheme of a transformer and the angle that LV side
makes with HV side in a counter-clockwise direction. Commonly used vector groups are
Dy1, Dy5, Dy11, Yd1, Yd5, Yd11. First alphabet indicates the connection type on HV
side; second alphabet indicated the configuration on LV side; number shows the clock
angle.
57
Types of Transformer:
i. Liquid immersed type transformers
ii. Dry type transformers
Transformer Configuration:
i. Delta-wye: used for step-up of voltage level
ii. Wye-delta: used for step-down of voltage level
iii. Wye-wye: used to interconnect two delta sides to provide neutral ground
iv. Delta-delta: used in case of moderate voltages
2. Circuit Breakers
Circuit breaker is a protective device that prevents the excessive flow of current; it is an
on-load device, i.e. circuit breakers can be operated while the load is connected.
Among different types of test for circuit breaker are:
i. Type Test:
The purpose of type tests is to prove design features and the quality of circuit
breaker. Type tests are not conducted on each circuit breaker. This is done to
prove the capabilities and to confirm the rated characteristics of the circuit
breakers.
Type test includes:
o Mechanical endurance tests
o Thermal tests
o Dielectric tests
o Measurement of resistance of the main circuits
o Short Circuit tests
ii. Routine Test:

Routine test is performed before circuit breaker dispatch to ensure the product.
This gives result about defects in materials and construction of circuit breaker.
We can check quality of material of circuit breaker by performing Routine Test.
Routine test includes:
o Mechanical Operational test
o One-Minute power frequency voltage dry withstand test
o Measurement of resistance of main circuit
IEC 62271 electrical standards govern the ratings, performance, features,

and testing of circuit breakers
58
3. Bus Bars
Bus bars act as nodal point in the substation which connects different incoming and
outgoing circuits.
Considerations for selection of bus bar arrangement:

Different types of bus bar arrangements are employed based on the voltage, reliability of
the supply, flexibility in transmitting power and cost. The other aspects considering in
designing the bus bars arrangements are:
i. Simplicity in the design
ii. Maintenance of different elements without interruption in the power supply
iii. Future expansion feasibility
iv. Economical in cost of installation and operation
Different bus bar arrangements:

Some of the switching schemes are bus bar arrangements employed in the substations are
listed below:
i. Single Bus-bar arrangement
ii. Double Main Bus-bar scheme
59
iii. Main and Transfer bus bar scheme
iv. One and half breaker scheme
v. Ring Main arrangement scheme
60
4. Isolators
Isolators are off load devices, i.e. they are operated when load is not connected.
Therefore, to open an isolator, first circuit breaker must be opened so that load is
disconnected from the main bus bar.
5. Relays:
Relays are used for the protection purpose against any fault, if occurs. According to IEC
standards, relays are assigned specific numbers. Among the mostly used relays are:
21: line distance protection

25: synchro-check for manual close
46: unbalance protection
50/51: over-current protection
51N: earth fault protection
87: differential relay
87L: line differential protection
87T: transformer differential protection
6. Control Rooms
Control rooms have raised floors, with tiles fitted into the angle iron network.
Control rooms serve the purpose of continuous monitoring and have protective panels
like fire alarm panel. For each bay at the grid, there is a separate control and
protection panel.
61
7. Bays
A grid station has three different bays:

i. Line Bay: from main transmission line to transformer bay.
ii. Transformer Bay: includes all components for voltage transformation as well
as transformer protection devices.
iii. VT Bay: checks the bus bar voltage level.
5. Power Flow Diagram (33KV – 132KV)
33Kv/132Kv
6. ETAP
ETAP software is used for designing an electrical grid station. It is also used to prepare
62
other electrical layouts. It is simulation software. Hence, before practically working on
the site, all single line diagrams needed are made using ETAP.
While installing the system at the location of interest the next step involves installation of
electric cables. For this purpose cables of desired characteristics and required power rating must
be used keeping in mind its cost. There are different cabling methods that are used, and are
mentioned next.
7. Cabling methods
 For cabling design, cable feeder are classified as:

1. Main Feeder Cables:
between main substation and area substation
2. Distribution Cables:
from substation to plant loads
3. Critical Cables:
for critical systems such as fire protection for emergency operation
 Cable designing and routing should be such that its bending radius doesn’t exceed the
allowable values. Allowable bending values vary from cable to cable.
 For cable designing, following must be considered:
1. Minimum cable lengths
2. Future extension space
 Cables must not run at places with sharp bends, hard/paved grounds, places where
leakage of corrosive of leakage chemicals may occur, places prone to cable damage
due to construction, etc., and at places where severe vibrations are expected.
 Cables are installed as mentioned in the electric cable schedule and the respective
layouts.
Underground Cabling
Underground cabling methods include:
i. Direct Buried: generally in unpaved areas
ii. Direct Buried with Side Walls
iii. Cable Trench Consisting of Concrete Walls: trenches should be designed so that
they may withstand the traffic load.
iv. Duct Bank System
63
Cable Tray System
 Cable trays are of following types:
i. Ladder Type: mostly used where cables travel upwards
ii. Solid Bottom Type: used where there are harmful chemicals, where
electrochemical shielding is required, places with high temperature, water
drainage holes are provided at bottom for outdoor areas.
 Cable tray must not be a subject to mechanical damage.
 It should be supported at all turns and at equal intervals.
 Circuits operating at less than 65volts may travel in the same tray.
 Cable tray and cable trench sizing depends on the diameter of the cable
 There should be minimum crossovers of cables.
Cable Sizing and Designing
 Multiple core cables are used for different purpose:

i. Single-core for earthing, carrying faulty currents
ii. 2-core foe single phase load
iii. 3-core for motors
iv. 4-core for feeder’s load
 For cable sizing calculations, following parameters are considered:
i. Load to be served
ii. Length of cable to be used
iii. Voltage drop over certain distance
iv. Short circuit current
v. Resistance
vi. Reactance
vii. De-rating factor
 Temperature control is also done by cable sizing.
 De-rating factor depends upon:
i. Soil thermal resistivity
ii. Depth of burial
iii. Grouping factor
iv. Maximum ground temperature
 For single core cables, Al armor is used since it is non-magnetic material and doesn’t
let the flux develop.
 For 3-core cables, steel armor is used since the flux that develops on one core is
cancelled out by another flux which is in its opposite direction.
64
 For hazardous areas, special cables are designed.
 For places with excessive hydrocarbons e.g. oil refineries, cables have additional
protection: they are lead-sheathed.
Once the system is installed next step involves the lightening design. The plant must get
adequate light for effective and efficient vigilance and maintenance. Hence for a power
generation plant to be set up a proficient lightening design must be made and implemented.
8. Lighting design
 Lighting design is done to provide the plant with sufficient amount of lighting that
contribute to safe and efficient operation and maintenance.
 While designing the lighting layout, it should be considered that stroboscopic effect is
not there, since it may cause accidents.
 For plant lighting, supply is taken from the lighting panels located in the plants.
 Lighting panels shall be supplied from MCCs or main lighting panels installed in
respective area substation.
 Lighting panel shall be provided with 20% spare circuits.
 For safety purpose, earth-fault current shall be limited.
 For lighting measurement, units used are lux or candela.
Lighting Fixtures
 Four types of lamps are widely used:
1. Fluorescent
2. High-pressure sodium (HPS)
3. Metal halide
4. Incandescent
 High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps are:
1. HPS
2. Metal halide
3. Mercury vapor lamps
 Mercury vapor lamps are not commonly used since they are hazardous to the
environment.
 Metal halide lamps are used where high color rendition is the primary concern. These
are widely used in sports stadium, oil and gas plants, etc.
65
 For indoor use and fixture height less than 3m, fluorescent lamps are used; for above
3m fixture height and outdoor purpose, sodium lamps are used.
 Low pressure sodium lamps are not used in hazardous area.
 Areas with corrosive and salty atmosphere and severe vibrations, fixtures must be
selected accordingly.
 Conditions such as area classification, ambient temperature, special site condition,
corrosive environment, electrical system characteristics, photometric requirements,
requirements for enclosures and cabling and mounting and installation should be
taken into consideration for lighting fixture selection.
 Software used: DiaLux.
Another very important feature to be taken care of during design and installation of a power
plant, keeping in view the protection scheme, is earthing system.
9. Earthing System
 Earthing system is established for protection of equipment, personal safety, system
stability, discharge of static charge and protection from over voltage.
 Purpose of earthing are:
1. Step Potential:
voltage between the feet of a person, standing near an energized ground object.
2. Touch Potential:
voltage between the energized object and the feet of a person in contact with the
object.
 IEC 60364-3 list five types of earthing systems:
1. TN-S System
66
In maintainability terms, fault tracking is fast. It is least costly to install. There are ery
long networks and leakage currents.
2. TN-C System
3. TN-C-S System
This is a hybrid system. Herein the conductor cost is reduced. Combined PEN
occurs between a substation and the entry point.
67
4. TT System
This system is used in industry and in hazardous areas. There is no risk of broken
neutral. In safety terns, TT system is the best. This is preferred for loads sensitive
to high fault currents.
5. IT System
Tracking of fault may be difficult, but repairs are quicker.

 All earthing calculations are done to satisfy the following three conditions and obtain
an optimum solution:
1. The total resistance (Rt) should be less than 1 ohm.
2. Ground potential rise (GPR) should be less than touch potential.
68
3. Mesh voltage at the center of corner mesh (Em) should be less than step voltage.
 Earthing transformers are used for providing a neutral ground for delta system; for
this a wye-delta transformer is used.
Now to make sure the safety of the plant certain measures are to be taken that may help in tine of
emergency at the plant, like fire alarm systems, CCTV systems.
10.Fire Alarm System
 There are two types of devices for fore alarm system, namely:
1. Initiating devices
2. Notification devices
 Initiating Devices:
These include fire/ heat and smoke detectors.
1. Smoke detectors are of two types:
i. Ionization Smoke Detector: detects particles of smoke that are too small to
be visible; but these are rejected for use owing to radioactive radiations.
ii. Optical Smoke Detector: when smoke enters the optical chamber and
scatters the light, the sensor sets off the alarm.
These detectors are used in hallways, rooms, elevators, parking, kitchen, electrical
room, generator rooms, and stairways.
2. Heat detectors have two main classifications:
i. Rate-of-rise Heat Detector: detects sudden change in ambient temperature.
69
ii. Fixed Temperature Heat Detector: detector activates when a fixed
threshold is crossed.
 Notification Devices:
Sounders and flashers are notification devices.
 Smoke detectors are places 7.5m away from each other, vertically and horizontally.
 Fire detectors are 10.6m away from each other, both vertically and horizontally.
 Sounders should have a minimum sound level of 65dB for indoor use. For external
use, sounders must have a sound level of 120 dB.
 Call point devices are: break glass point, manual pull call point and push button call
point.
 Previously used were the conventional/analog control panels, wherein 2 core cables
and a radial circuit are used.
 Currently in use are the addressable/digital control panels that have a loop circuit.
These panels accurately locate the zone where fire alarm indicates.
 At minimum, cable of size 1 mm^2 should be used.
 Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP) should always be located at the main entrance.
 Fire alarm systems are often integrated with other systems that also work accordingly,
for instance sprinkler system for transformer, HVAC system, etc.
11.CCTV System
 Major components include:

1. Camera
2. Cable
3. Programming/ recording device
 Cameras used are of two types:
1. Fixed type
2. PTZ camera
 Image sensor is the most important part of the camera.
 At the video output, there exists 1 volt peak to peak.
 Focal length of lens is usually given in millimeters. As focal length increases, the
field of view narrows and more distant objects are easier to define; and vice versa.
 The number of TV lines in the video produced by the security camera is a measure of
picture sharpness/resolution. Over 370 TV lines are generally considered good
resolution; over 450TV lines is considered high resolution.
 A minimum of 1.5 to 2 lux is normal for color camera, while 0.1 lux for monochrome
cameras.
70
 Signal to noise ratio is ratio between level of video signal to the amount of noise
present. At a ratio for 50 dB sound level must be maintained.
 Cables used for the purpose are the coaxial cables.
 CCTV also uses fiber optic cables. The two major types used are:
1. Single core (8 microns or less)
2. Multicore (up to 100 microns)
 The recording device used is DVR-Digital Video Recorder.
12.Cathodic Protection System Design
 Cathodic protection (CP) is a technique to control corrosion by using a metal of

higher electro chemical properties and making it an anode.
 Types of CP are:
1. Galvanic Cathodic Protection (GCP)
2. Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP)
 Anodes used for GCP are alloys of zinc, magnesium and aluminum, and have various
shapes.
 Anodes for ICCP are tubular and solid rod shaped. These are made out of mixed
metal oxide, platinum and niobium coated wire, high silicon cast iron and graphite.
 GCP is used for small structure while ICCP is used for large ones.
 GCP is used where protection current requirement is low; ICCP is used where
protection current requirement is high.
 Anodes are may be placed:
1. Continuously horizontal
2. Deep vertical
3. Shallow vertical
4. Shallow horizontal segmented
 Life of anode may be calculated by using the relation:
L = W C u/8760 I
Where
L: design life of anode
W: net-weight of anode in lbs.
C: energy capability in amp-hour
u: utilization factor (0.8)
I: current output in amps
71
Chapter
6
SINGLE LINE DIAGRAM OF QASP
After an overview of all the steps necessary to set up a plant and ensure its safe and effective
operation, now we discuss the single line diagram that had been made initially for designing and
setting up of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park.
The Electric SLD for Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park is given in Appendix 1.
Starting from block K in the SLD, two solar panels are connected to substation through DC
confluence box, DC cabinet and an inverter via a DC cable. Thus before the voltage from
500kW-solar panel is fed to a transformer it is converted to AC since a transformer may step up
or step down an AC voltage. So a Y-Delta-Y transformer is used to step up the voltage to 33kV.
A Y-Delta-Y transformer is used so that there may be no net current may be flowing. The delta
side at the secondary prevents the third harmonic current to flow. Once the voltage is
transformed to 33kV protection schemes are applied before it is connected to a 33kV bus bar.
For this after the secondary side of the transformer, a CT/current transformer is connected that
checks the amount of current flowing, it prevents the flow of excessive current. In case of
excessive current the circuit breakers open and the connected relays operate, thus breaking the
connection. After a CT, a surge arrester is installed so that it may capture high surges of voltage,
like lightening etc, which may be harmful for the rest of the circuit. Alongside the surge arrester
an earthing switch is installed which is opened for maintenance purposes. Then again CTs of
different current ratings are installed to prevent the flow of excessive current, followed by a
vacuum circuit breaker which operates and opens in case of any error in the transmission line.
Then this system is integrated with a 33kV bus bar. As according to the system’s SLD 10 such
modules are connected to a 33kV bus bar. And another set of 10 such modules are connected to
the first set and the 33 kV bus bar through line isolators; this is for load shifting purpose in case
of failure of one set or if the demand rises both may work simultaneously. This 33KV bus bar
also feeds the auxiliary load, i.e. the load of the plant that has beem set up and the emergency
72
load. The auxiliary block has been shown in blocks I and H. Similat protection schemes are
applied: transformer-with a grounding connection at Y-primary side, current transformer, surge
arrester, earthing switch, current transformers of different current ratings and vacuum circuit
breakers.
Moving onwards from 33kV transmission line, before connecting to the 132kV national grid
transmission line, there is a protection scheme installed. After the 33kV bus bar there is a
transformer that steps up 33kV to 132kV. It has current transformers on both its primary and
secondary sides for prevention of flow of excessive current. Furthermore there is a grounding
resistor also for the safe earthing system and neutral bushing CT is also installed for the same
purpose. Then before connecting to a 132kV bus bar earthing switch and line isolators are
installed, once again for the maintenance purpose so that for removal of error line may be safely
disconnected from the rest of the circuit. For connecting to the 132kV bus bar SF6 circuit
breakers are used which are more responsive to any slight error because of SF6 gas.
The 132kV bus bar scheme is connected in double main bus bar scheme pattern. Before
connecting this 132kV bus bar to national 132kV grid again protection scheme is applied to as to
minimize any chance of error or excessive flow of current or flow of faulty current. Thus before
connecting the transmission line from 132kv bus bar of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park to the national
132kV grid station, firstly a disconnector switch and an earthing switch is installed followed by a
SF6 circuit breaker. Then a current transformer is installed to ensure no excessive current may
flow. Then again through a disconnector switch and an earthing switch the line is fed to unity
power voltage transformer and finally connected to the 132kV national feeder.
Based on similar patterns the other half of the plant of also connected to the 132kV national
feeder.
73
Chapter
7
COMPARISON STUDY OF BULK
PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTED
GENERATION
Main part of our project is to carry-out the comparison study between the bulk production
of electricity from a single solar unit and distributed generation in which consumer is given solar
unit for its individual electricity production. We will discuss various aspects generally and
specifically for Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (QASP) which will differentiate between bulk
production and distributed generation through solar panels. Technical aspects will be common
for all the projects. The ultimate deciding factor will be the capital cost, running cost and
efficiency of the system. By considering these 3 deciding factors, we can designate one way of
production to be superior our other.
Inverter efficiency
When we go for the distributed generation in which each consumer is given its own solar
kit for its individual production, we will have to include a separate inverter for every consumer
being served. Approximate efficiency of an inverter is 80%. If we go for ‘n’ inverters, overall
efficiency will be (0.8n)x100%. So, as the number of inverters increase, efficiency of the system
decreases proportionally. In case of bulk production, single high power inverter is used. As a
result, losses associated from DC to AC conversion are no more than 20%. From inverter
efficiency point of view, bulk production is definitely a better option.
Synchronization with the grid

If a national level project like Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (QASP) is to be converted into a
distribution production, then it is necessary that each solar kit installed in the consumer’s house
should be connected with the national grid. Synchronizing the inverter of the solar system with
74
the power system is not an easy task. In case of distributed generation, each inverter has to be
synchronized with the grid. And following conditions of synchronization should be met:
 Same frequency
 Same phase angle of the corresponding phases being connected
 Same rms voltage
All of the above conditions are necessary to be met before connecting an external source
with the power system. Otherwise, it would lead to system instability. These synchronization
conditions are easy to fulfil in case of bulk production. In which there is a single power source to
be integrated with the grid. Considering the synchronization with the grid, we will prefer bulk
production over individual distributed production.
Batteries or grid connected

For the uninterrupted power supply for our consumer, we have two options to use PV
modules.
 PV modules with battery backup (standalone system)
 Grid connected system (Hybrid system)
QASP is a grid connected system. In other words, there are no batteries for backup. During day
time, it provides power to the national grid. As a result peak load hours are served. If we convert
QASP into a distributed production, we will have to provide batteries with individual solar kits.
This will add to capital cost of our project. If we go for a distributed grid connected system, then
we will have to face synchronization problem. For both grid connected and standalone system,
we will prefer bulk production over distributed production.
Maintenance
In a single bulk production unit as in QASP, maintenance is way far easier than the
distributed generation. In bulk production, all the equipment is present at the single site. It is easy
to diagnose a problem and fault can easily be removed. However, in case of distributed
generation, we will have to consider all the PV modules, inverters and batteries which are
installed in consumer house individually. From maintenance point of view, bulk production will
have an edge over the distributed generation.
75
Chapter
8
COMPARISON BASED TECHNICAL &
COST ANALYSIS
Now we will compare the technical details of QASP against a fictitious distributed
system established to fulfil the same requirements i.e. 100MW. We will consider our distributed
system to be a grid connected system like QASP. So, batteries and charge controller will be
exempted from our analysis and design.
Technical analysis
Following is the analysis of 100MW Photovoltaic system of QASP:
Insolation of Bahawalpur = 3.5KWh/day-m2
AC load = 100MW
Inverter efficiency = 80%
Daily average energy consumed by the grid from = 500MWh/day
Total DC load is calculated as follow:
DC load = 625MWh/day
76
Nominal module voltage = 72V
Rated current of PV module = 8.65A
System voltage = 600V
Ampere hours at system voltage are calculated as follow:
Total Ah/day = 1.04MAh/day

Ampere hours generated by a single string are calculated as follow:
Coulomb efficiency = 85%

Derating factor = 0.85
Which gives 21.8736 Ah/day-string
No. of strings in parallel are calculated as follow:
Which gives 47546 strings in parallel.

No. of modules in series are calculated as follow:
Which gives 8 (approx.) strings in series
Following is the analysis of a fictitious distributed photovoltaic system of 100MW

capability:
77
Average load of an urban house = 12KW
Average energy consumed by each house = 60KWh/day
Total DC load = 75KWh/day
Which gives, 3.125KAh/day
Nominal module voltage for house = 12V
Which gives, 21.874Ah/day-string
No. of modules in series = 2
No. of modules in parallel = 143
Cost Analysis:
Investment for the 100MW photovoltaic system at Bahawalpur (QASP) is quoted to be =
$131million
If QASP is converted into a distributed photovoltaic system in which each consumer is given its
own solar kit (inverter, panel, wiring, breakers etc), then considering following facts,
 Using the same JAP6 PV module ($250)
 Using 15KW inverter ($1885)
100MW of load is distributed among 8333 houses

No. of panels in each house = 286
Total no. of panels required = 286 x 8333 = 2383238
No. inverters required = 8333
Total cost = (8333 x $1885) + (2383238 x $250) = $611.5million
Which is way too much then the investment in QASP.
The basic increase in cost is due to the separate inverter for each consumer.
78
Appendix 1
Single Line Diagram of Quaid-e-Azam

Solar Park (QASP)
79
80
Appendix 2
Datasheets of PV-modules and inverters

used in Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park
81
JAP6
60/240-260/3BB
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IEC Designed for UL 600V or ETL 1000V, IEC 1000V applications

1000V
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Superior Warranty Comprehensive Certificates
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82
JAP6
Engineering Drawings
60/240-260/3BB
Standard J-BOX design Split J-BOX design
Junction Box Draining Holes

8 places
Mounting holes Cabel 2 places

8 places length : 300
Label
Grounding holes
2 places
customized cable length available upon request
MECHANICAL PARAMETERS WORKING CONDITIONS

Cell (mm) Poly 156x156 Maximum System Voltage DC 1000V (TÜV) / 600V
(UL) / 1000V (ETL)
Weight (kg) 18.5 (approx)
Operating Temperature -40℃~+85℃
Dimensions (L×W×H) (mm) 1650×991×40
Maximum Series Fuse 15A
Cable Cross Section Size (mm2) 4
No. of Cells and Connections 60 (6×10) Maximum Static Load, Front (e.g., snow and wind) 5400Pa (112 Ib/ft2)
Maximum Static Load, Back (e.g., wind) 2400Pa (50 Ib/ft2)
Junction Box IP67, 3 diodes
NOCT 47±2℃
Connector MC4 Compatible
Packaging Configuration 26/26+2 Per Pallet Application Class Class A
ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS I-V CURVE

JAP6 JAP6 JAP6 JAP6 JAP6
TYPE 60-240/3BB 60-245/3BB 60-250/3BB 60-255/3BB 60-260/3BB
Current-Voltage Curve (JAP6 60-250/3BB)
Current (A)
Rated Maximum Power at STC (W) 240 245 250 255 260
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1000W/m2
Open Circuit Voltage (Voc/V) 37.30 37.45 37.54 37.62 37.73 800W/m2
600W/m2
Maximum Power Voltage (Vmp/V) 29.38 29.63 29.98 30.36 30.77
400W/m2
Short Circuit Current (Isc/A) 8.65 8.78 8.84 8.88 8.91 200W/m2
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Maximum Power Current (Imp/A) 8.17 8.27 8.34 8.40 8.45 Voltage (V)
Module Efficiency [%] 14.68 14.98 15.29 15.59 15.90
Power Tolerance (W) -0~+5W

Power-Voltage Curve (JAP6 60-250/3BB)
+0.062%/℃
Power (W)
Temperature Coefficient of Isc (αIsc)

100 150 200 250
1000W/m2
Temperature Coefficient of Voc (βVoc) -0.330%/℃ 800W/m2
Temperature Coefficient of Pmax (γPmp) -0.450%/℃ 600W/m2
400W/m2
50
2
STC Irradiance 1000W/m , Module Temperature 25℃, Air Mass 1.5 200W/m2
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Voltage (V)
NOCT
JAP6 JAP6 JAP6 JAP6 JAP6
TYPE 60-240/3BB 60-245/3BB 60-250/3BB 60-255/3BB 60-260/3BB Current-Voltage Curve (JAP6 60-250/3BB)
Current (A)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Max Power at STC (Pmax) [W] 172.67 176.27 179.87 183.47 187.06
Open Circuit Voltage (Voc) [V] 33.97 34.10 34.19 34.26 34.36
65℃ 45℃25℃5℃
Max Power Voltage (Vmp) [V] 26.43 26.66 26.97 27.32 27.68
Short Circuit Current (Isc) [A] 7.01 7.11 7.16 7.19 7.22 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Voltage (V)
Max Power Current (Imp) [A] 6.53 6.61 6.67 6.72 6.76
Electrical data in this catalog do not refer to a single module and they are not part of the offer. They only serve for comparison among different module types.
JA Solar 03.2013
83
PV Grid-Connected Inverters 2014~2015 V12
www.sungrowpower.com
SG 500MX Grid-friendly
LVRT
Overload capacity enhanced 10%, max. output
power up to 550kW
Active power continuously adjustable (0～100%)
Reactive power control with power factor
adjustment from 0.9 overexcited to 0.9 underexcited
Intelligent control, meet all requirements of the grid
Efficient
Max. efficiency at 98.7%
Efficient MPPT control design, more power yields
Redundant power solution of dual power improving
system reliability
Efficient PWM algorithm, low consumption on
power device
Temperature controlled air-cooling, energy saving
Adaptable
-30℃～＋55℃ continuously operating at rated power
Continuously and stably working in high altitude
environment
Auxiliary heater (opt.)
Qualified
TÜV, CGC certified, compliance with BDEW
Input (DC) Output (AC) General Data
Max. PV input power Nominal AC output power

560kW 500kW Dimensions (W*H*D) 1606*2034*860mm
Max. PV input voltage Max. AC output apparent power
1000V 550kVA Weight 1250kg
Start voltage Max. AC output current
500V 1008A Operating ambient temperature range -30~+55℃
Min. operation voltage THD
460V <3 % (nominal power) Night power consumption <20W
Max. PV input current Nominal AC voltage
1220A 315V External auxiliary supply voltage 380V, 3A
MPP voltage range AC voltage range
460~850V 252~362V Cooling method Temperature controlled air-
No. of DC inputs Nominal grid frequency
8/16 50/60Hz cooling
Grid frequency range 47~52/57~62Hz Ingress protection rating IP21
Protection
Power factor >0.99@default value Allowable relative humidity range 0~95%, no condensing
Input side disconnection device DC load switch at nominal power, adj. Max. operating altitude 6000m (＞3000m derating)
Output side disconnection device AC load switch 0.9 overexcited~0.9 Fresh air consumption 4500 m³/h
DC overvoltage protection Yes underexcited Display Colored touch screen
AC overvoltage protection Yes Isolated transformer No Communication RS485/Modbus, Ethernet
Grid monitoring Yes DC current injection <0.5% In (opt.)
Ground fault monitoring Yes Efficiency
Over temperature protection Yes
Yes Max. efficiency 98.70%
Insulation monitoring
European efficiency 98.50%
Efficiency Curve Circuit Diagram
100%
Power Module
AC AC
98% DC+ Contactor
DC Switch Switch
Efficiency
96% L1
Vdc=500V DC AC
94% L2
DC- EMC AC Filter EMC
Vdc=600V
Filter Filter L3
92%
Vdc=850V
90%
Printed in September 2014 E/W
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Normalized Output Power
DC SPD AC SPD
PE PE
Specifications subject to change without notice.

84
References
1. http://pakistan360degrees.com/the-advantages-of-solar-power-for-pakistan/
2. http://energypotentialinc.com/
3. http://www.qasolar.com/
4. http://www.mag92.com/first-100mw-quaid-e-azam-solar-park-completes/
5. http://www.solarinsure.com/largest-solar-power-plants
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rancho_Cielo_Solar_Farm
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perovo_Solar_Park
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lopburi_Solar_Farm
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solarpark_Finow_Tower
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gujarat_Solar_Park#Charanka_Solar_Park
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_Mountain_Solar_Facility
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Valley_Solar_Ranch
13. Renewable and Efficient Power Systems by Gilbert M. Masters
14. Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park RFP, Evaluation Criteria and Techno-commercial
Requirements
85

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COMPARISON STUDY OF QUAID-E-AZAM

SOLAR PARK (QASP) WITH A DISTRIBUTED

Dr. Imran Sheikh

M. Nouman Sadiq (2012-EE-19)

Chapter 2 Components of a Photovoltaic System ………… 6

Chapter 3 Case Studies ………………………………………….. 18

Chapter 4 Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (QASP) ………………. 25

Chapter 5 Systematic Development of QASP ………………. 54

Chapter 6 Single Line Diagram of QASP …………………….. 72

Chapter 7 Comparison Study of Bulk Production and ….. 74

Chapter 8 Comparison Based Technical & Cost Analysis. 76

Appendix 1 Single line Diagram of QASP ……………………… 79

Appendix 2 Datasheets of PV-module & inverter …………… 81

Advantages of solar Technology

 Solar energy can be made available almost anywhere there is sunlight

Drawbacks of Solar Technology

 Consequently, intermittency and unpredictability of solar energy makes solar energy

 For a continuous supply of electric power, especially for on-grid connections,

Importance of Solar Technology in Pakistan

Year Projects Yearly Cumulative Capacity (MW)

First Solar Punjab 2 LOI issued [97]

Polycrystalline vs Monocrystalline vs Hybrid

Hybrid Panels – e.g. Panasonic (Sanyo) HIT

Black Frames and Black Backed Panels

• Segmented disconnections: Combiners with multiple disconnect mechanisms allow

• Smart: PV combiners with a data connection facilitate real-time monitoring of the

Maximum Output Current

Input: Quantity and Wire Gauge

Output: Quantity and Wire Gauge

Arnedo Solar Plant, Spain

Moura photovoltaic power station, Portugal

Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park, Spain

Rancho Cielo Solar Farm, USA

Topaz Solar Farm, USA

Agua Caliente Solar Project

Huanghe Hydropower Golmud Solar Park

Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant

Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park

Solarpark Finow Tower

Perovo Solar Park

Charanka Solar Park

Neuhardenberg Solar Park

Copper Mountain Solar Facility

California Valley Solar Ranch

The Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park is a 1,000-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power station in

Interested Parties are expected to demonstrate convincing planning for:

Interdependencies between the tasks

A long-term commitment, in the form of a whole system performance guarantee, is

The MWp-DC-STC is the flash-tested DC power capacity of the installed modules at

QA Solar expects a state-of-the-art system delivering ease of management, transparent

Irradiation and temperature measurements are to be recorded at intervals of fifteen

Frequency range Inverter response

Flexibility and maximum number of input circuits

The important design factors for the connectors:

The DC cables functionality and specifications to include:

The AC cables functionality and specifications to include:

The functionality and specifications to be considered for AC connectors:

Functions and specifications:

The techno-commercial requirements outlined above are not meant to be exhaustive or

i. The EPC must have completed a cumulative minimum of 50 MWp of fully

Final Evaluation Criteria of Financial Proposal

Feedback from prospective bidders about the techno-commercial requirements and

1. Key Line Diagram

Standard Voltage Classification by NTDC