Development of an integrated solar home system

Abstract To date, many traditional Solar Home Systems (SHS) have consisted of separate components requiring assembly by trained individuals in the field. While this cannot be secured, many SHSs in remote areas have not fulfilled their expected lifecycles or have not functioned at all. The new Integrated Solar Home System (I-SHS) offers a solution: All components such as PV module, charge controller, inverter and wiring, but also support structure and foundation, are integrated and pre-assembled by the manufacturer. This eases installation and reduces costs and failures. Additionally, through the integration of a water tank that serves as a cooling unit as well as the system foundation, a significant reduction of operating cell temperature was achieved, increasing electrical yield by 9–12%.